School board files tenure charges against N.J. teacher who made anti-gay comments on Facebook

[alp227]

It was three months ago when anti-gay comments posted on Facebook by a Union High School teacher caused a nationwide controversy. Now, those comments may cost the instructor her job.

The Union Township school board announced today it has filed tenure charges against Viki Knox, the longtime teacher and faculty adviser to the high school’s Bible study group.

Board president Francis R. Perkins said the charges were formally filed in late December after a three-month investigation of Knox’s conduct, the first step in what could be a lengthy and costly process to fire her.

"Every student, no matter what race, creed color or sexual orientation ought to be able to come to school and feel comfortable in a learning environment that’s welcoming and nurturing," Perkins said.

full: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/school_board_files_tenure_char.html

I have mixed views about this decision:
- No student has ever complained about Knox harassing them directly in class. There's a difference between posting bigotry on a forum like Facebook and harassing another person directly with such bigotry.
- Hate speech is not a crime in the US unlike in many European countries.
- Can a public school constitutionally make someone give up free speech rights (like on Facebook postings) as condition for employment?
- However, if I came across my kid's teacher's facebook and saw comments like Knox's or how teacher boasted about being a white nationalist etc. I'd feel uncomfortable with the teacher.

[RKP5637]

1. I read your notes at the bottom of your OP. It is a mixed bag, isn't it ... it is

an infringement on free speech, but yet at the same time is hate speech. It's just a mixed bag and the guidelines to handle it are quite fuzzy.

[msongs]

2. students in her classes know her views - would u want a class taught by a hater?

knowing you had to take that class and that the teacher viewed you a certain derogatory way?

[alp227]

3. if the teacher directly said anything bigoted to me I'd be uncomfortable

but I'm all for freedom of thought for everyone...ever read George Orwell's "1984"? As much as I oppose homophobia, thought-policing won't help.

[Politicalboi]

8. She acted on that thought

She put it for all the world to see. She gives other students who think like her the "right" to bully gay kids. She should be fired. She teaches bible study, and if she posted on FB there was no god, she would probably be fired, or the public "christians" would come for her with pitchforks and tar and feathers. This is beyond thought. She should have known better. I smoke pot, but I would NEVER post that on FB with my profile till it's accepted in the work place.

[joeglow3]

14. You need to differentiate between a government and private agency

Freedom of speech applies to government.

[obamanut2012]

11. No one is taking away her freedom of thought

[The Straight Story]

4. If it was not in the classroom, then no real issue

But there are some who won't hire smokers, and if I ever own a company I won't hire anyone that drinks, has sex out of marriage, has had an abortion, etc and so on because one thing I have learned is that it is OK to force others to live as you wish or punish them when they don't.

Those that don't value personal choice and freedom will welcome firing people like this. And even though I think the teacher is wrong, it is outside of work.

Someday soon, we will all live our lives to serve our employers, and sadly many here will cheer it on.

[alp227]

6. did you forget a sarcasm tag after paragraph 1?

[The Straight Story]

7. Didn't think it was needed - but then again....

would anyone here have a problem with me if I didn't want to hire someone like that? If we are fine limiting peoples' freedoms on one thing (smoking at home) then shouldn't those same people back me up?

I am consistent on 'your body, your choice' but when I apply it to other things I am called a libertarian. The same people saying that are all for companies telling me what I can do at home as well.

If they really believe that, they should be all for companies not wanting to hire people who do other things - and money is more important than freedom right? You drink at home? Could cost the company more. Get pregnant? Well, that is choice - and that could cost the company time and money.

Never mind me, I am just some libertarian who actually believes in the principles people talk about and carries them out over more than one topic.

[Politicalboi]

12. Us Medical Marijuana users

By law we are suppose to be on the clock all the time because MJ stays in your system for 3 or 4 weeks. So we can get or keep that $9.00 an hour job that doesn't have insurance. So people like me who have been diagnosed with the on start of Glaucoma should go blind rather than use off the clock, all to keep a $9.00 an hour job. So we have to resort to cheating on drug tests if that is possible. This teacher should have kept her yap shut. Children look up to her. And she works with the public. Had she said something racist would that be okay too off the clock?

[etherealtruth]

5. It is a real "mixed bag"

Right or wrong every thinking adult knows the ramifications of their posts on social networking sites ... so I question the judgment of this teacher based on that alone.

I would certainly lose respect for a teacher that posted "hate speech" ... I just don't know about this ... again, what I do know is that it is stupid to post these kind of things (of course its reprehensible from a moral stand point ... but I digress)

[xfundy]

9. If the teacher posted about disliking other people--

like, for instance, black people, asians, italians, irish, christers, muslims, jews, etc etc -- and declared they "breed like cancer," would that be OK?

If not, why not? Seriously. is it still OK to hate some people for attributes they had no choice about?

[obamanut2012]

10. Certain professions hve different restrictions

Teachers, clergy, etc.

NJ teachers know what the laws and regulations are, and now they are expected to abide by them.

I myself am a teacher, although of a different age group, and I would be fired for posting certain things on my Facebook page, which is why I would never post certain things on my Facebook wall. Even so, my page is closed to all but close friends and a handful of relatives.

An employee is about to dictate certain things outside of work, even whether or not you can SMOKE, be involved in political campaigning (even outside of work -- many law firms do this), where you are allowed to live, they can forbid certain hobbies, and say if you're allowed to have a PT job, etc.

I am glad they posted the tenure charges.

[usregimechange]

13. Don't fire people for the things they say on facebook.

[Logical]

15. So would people here be OK if the teacher insulted black or jews? I doubt it. Hmmm!