Teacher suspended, reassigned for anti-gay Facebook comments
August 19, 2011 by admin
Filed under Lingerie Events
Mount Dora High School’s Teacher of the Year was suspended from the classroom and reassigned pending an investigation by the Lake County School Board after controversial comments he made about same-sex unions on Facebook.
Jerry Buell, a long-time Lake County social studies teacher, said during a recent Facebook exchange that he “almost threw up” in response to a news story about legalized same-sex marriage in New York.
On the same July 25 Facebook post he said same-sex marriages were part of a “cesspool.” He went on to call the unions a sin.
The comments were made on Buell’s personal Facebook page but were visible to friends in his network. Buell argued he made the post on his own time on his personal computer.
“It wasn’t out of hatred,” he said in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel. “It was about the way I interpret things.”
School districts across Florida have recently adopted policies on how teachers should use social media. In Orange County Schools, teachers are reminded their “private use of internet and social networking is not private” and employees should remain professional in using the communication at all times.
Lake drafted similar guidelines for teachers in January, and district officials will distribute them in the coming weeks.
“Social media is a minefield,” said Chris Patton, communications officer for Lake County schools, who helped develop the guidelines. “People think they’re free to say what they want to, but in some aspects it can come back to haunt you.”
The guidelines warn teachers if they “feel angry or passionate about a subject, it may not be the time to share your thoughts in a post” and to “delay posting until you are calm and clearheaded.”
Brett Winters, a former Mount Dora high school student, said he was disappointed after learning about Buell’s comments.
“This type of hateful language is dangerous not only to gay students, but also to anti-gay students,” said Winters, 27.
Others argued the comments would make gay students, who have triple the suicide rate of non-gay students in the U.S., feel unwelcome in the classroom.
“I would hope a teacher would be there to help them and not hurt them,” said Michael Slaymaker, president of the Orlando Youth Alliance, a support group for homosexual youth.
Buell said all his students have equal value in his eyes.
“I’ve had kids that I’ve known that have been homosexuals,” he said. “They know that I don’t hate them. I love them.”
The school district said Buell will be reassigned to an administrative position pending an investigation into whether he violated the district’s code of conduct for educators.
School districts are legally required to make all students feel welcome in their learning environments, said Scott McLeod, who studies educational leadership and technology at the University of Kentucky. Those who discipline teachers who aren’t welcoming are typically backed by courts.
“Bottom line, if I’m a gay and lesbian kid and I’m headed in to that guy’s class tomorrow, I’m not feeling very welcome,” he said.
Erica Rodriguez can be reached at ericarodriguez@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6186
