Teacher's sex ad on Craigslist grounds for firing

[n2doc]

Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, May 6, 2011

(05-05) 14:35 PDT SAN DIEGO -- A state appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a San Diego schoolteacher who was fired for posting a sexually explicit ad and photos in the "men seeking men" section of Craigslist.

Frank Lampedusa's firing had been overruled by a state commission that said the ad was unrelated to his ability to teach middle-school students. But the appeals court disagreed, saying Lampedusa's conduct showed he was unfit to teach and "serve as a role model" for his students.

A teacher's private life can constitute grounds for dismissal if it demonstrates "indecency and moral indifference," said the Fourth District Court of Appeal in San Diego. The court issued the 3-0 ruling last month and published it Tuesday as a statewide precedent for future cases.

Lampedusa, 47, has worked for the San Diego district since 1999 and at Farb Middle School since 2004, where he has also handled disciplinary cases as the school's dean of students. He has continued to teach while the district appealed his case.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/05/BAD61JC06S.DTL

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. If you're a teacher

It seems that the list of what you can and can't do grows every day:

1. Don't post sex ads on Craigslist-particularly in the same-sex section (in fact, just don't be gay at all)
2. Don't write erotic novels-even under a pseudonym
3. Don't get pregnant- unless you're married-before (or at the time of) conception

What does one need to do to do (or not do) in order to be considered a suitable "role model" nowadays and who decides? :shrug:

[n2doc]

2. 4. Don't ever make a porn flick or make money in that industry

No matter how long ago it was and under what circumstances it happened.

[WinkyDink]

3. Yes, in fact, there are reasons not to put some adults in charge of children.

Too bad for the porn-fans.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. Porn is legal last I checked

If we're talking about child porn, then that is a different matter of course and I would agree 100% Also, of course, if the teacher brought indecent materials with them to school, then that would be an issue for me as well. However, IMHO we need to get to a place where people's private lives and behavior, as long as it is legal and kept separate from each other, doesn't interfere or cause problems with people's livelihood.