Teacher back in class despite opposition from gay privilege advocates

[manifold]

Teacher Wins Free-Speech Battle After Anti-Gay Diatribe - TIME

Jerry Buell is back in the classroom, as he should be. Or, perhaps, shouldn't be. Buell, 54, a devout Baptist, family man and veteran teacher of American history at public Mount Dora High School in central Florida, might as well be the faculty heavy in an episode of Glee: this summer, he set off a national First Amendment fracas by announcing on Facebook that gay marriage is a "cesspool" that makes him vomit and mocks God. Buell's employer, the Lake County School District, removed him from the classroom last week for the first three days of the new school year, pending an investigation of the Facebook comments, then reinstated him on Aug. 25 presumably because it realized his speech in this case was protected.

Thoughts?

 

[rdean]

Family man. Republicans like to call themselves the "Party of Family Values". What a joke.

 

[Tank]

If rdean had it his way, kids would have to have homosexual sex as part of their education

 

[DaGoose]

Teacher Wins Free-Speech Battle After Anti-Gay Diatribe - TIME

Jerry Buell is back in the classroom, as he should be. Or, perhaps, shouldn't be. Buell, 54, a devout Baptist, family man and veteran teacher of American history at public Mount Dora High School in central Florida, might as well be the faculty heavy in an episode of Glee: this summer, he set off a national First Amendment fracas by announcing on Facebook that gay marriage is a "cesspool" that makes him vomit and mocks God. Buell's employer, the Lake County School District, removed him from the classroom last week for the first three days of the new school year, pending an investigation of the Facebook comments, then reinstated him on Aug. 25 presumably because it realized his speech in this case was protected.

Thoughts?

I agree with the reinstatement. Since he didn't have that "moment of stupidity" in the classroom his speech IS protected. The same would go if he praised neo-nazis or even NAMBLA.

.

 

[manifold]

How does this case compare with the story about the teacher that got fired when it was learned he had appeared in gay porn flicks?

 

[manifold]

How does this case compare with the story about the teacher that got fired when it was learned he had appeared in gay porn flicks?

My hard-wired bias has me wanting to applaud this teacher's reinstatement as well as the gay porn teacher's firing. I won't deny that. But something about the two strikes me as an inconsistent application of our 1st Amendment freedom of expression. As we were all reminded in mudmissile's epic fail thread yesterday (spilling into today), the 1st Amendment protects us from the government infringing upon our rights to free speech etc. And in both cases here it's a public school which qualifies as government. In one case, the teacher cannot be fired for spreading hatred on his own time because it's protected speech, but in the other case the teacher can be fired for allowing himself to be filmed having gay sex on his own time (before he even took the teaching job). So setting aside my built-in bias (and yours too), why would the 1st Amendment protect one teacher's job but not the other?

 

[manifold]

 

[AmericanFirst]

Family man. Republicans like to call themselves the "Party of Family Values". What a joke.

Maybe because they believe in the one true meaning of a family; man + woman = family. Anything else is just abnormal and wrong!!!

 

[bodecea]

Teacher Wins Free-Speech Battle After Anti-Gay Diatribe - TIME

Jerry Buell is back in the classroom, as he should be. Or, perhaps, shouldn't be. Buell, 54, a devout Baptist, family man and veteran teacher of American history at public Mount Dora High School in central Florida, might as well be the faculty heavy in an episode of Glee: this summer, he set off a national First Amendment fracas by announcing on Facebook that gay marriage is a "cesspool" that makes him vomit and mocks God. Buell's employer, the Lake County School District, removed him from the classroom last week for the first three days of the new school year, pending an investigation of the Facebook comments, then reinstated him on Aug. 25 presumably because it realized his speech in this case was protected.

Thoughts?

I agree with the reinstatement. Since he didn't have that "moment of stupidity" in the classroom his speech IS protected. The same would go if he praised neo-nazis or even NAMBLA.

.

Yep.

 

[bodecea]

How does this case compare with the story about the teacher that got fired when it was learned he had appeared in gay porn flicks?

My hard-wired bias has me wanting to applaud this teacher's reinstatement as well as the gay porn teacher's firing. I won't deny that. But something about the two strikes me as an inconsistent application of our 1st Amendment freedom of expression. As we were all reminded in mudmissile's epic fail thread yesterday (spilling into today), the 1st Amendment protects us from the government infringing upon our rights to free speech etc. And in both cases here it's a public school which qualifies as government. In one case, the teacher cannot be fired for spreading hatred on his own time because it's protected speech, but in the other case the teacher can be fired for allowing himself to be filmed having gay sex on his own time (before he even took the teaching job). So setting aside my built-in bias (and yours too), why would the 1st Amendment protect one teacher's job but not the other?

both should be reinstated.

 

[manifold]

How does this case compare with the story about the teacher that got fired when it was learned he had appeared in gay porn flicks?

My hard-wired bias has me wanting to applaud this teacher's reinstatement as well as the gay porn teacher's firing. I won't deny that. But something about the two strikes me as an inconsistent application of our 1st Amendment freedom of expression. As we were all reminded in mudmissile's epic fail thread yesterday (spilling into today), the 1st Amendment protects us from the government infringing upon our rights to free speech etc. And in both cases here it's a public school which qualifies as government. In one case, the teacher cannot be fired for spreading hatred on his own time because it's protected speech, but in the other case the teacher can be fired for allowing himself to be filmed having gay sex on his own time (before he even took the teaching job). So setting aside my built-in bias (and yours too), why would the 1st Amendment protect one teacher's job but not the other?

both should be reinstated.

there's gotta be another way. nobody wants a gay porn star teaching their kids. seriously. and nobody who understands and values tolerance wants a raging homophobe teaching them either. how do we inject a sliver of common sense into the equation that justifies dumping both of them but doesn't push us closer toward the proverbial slippery slope?

anyone up to that mental challenge?

 

[martybegan]

Teacher Wins Free-Speech Battle After Anti-Gay Diatribe - TIME



Thoughts?

I agree with the reinstatement. Since he didn't have that "moment of stupidity" in the classroom his speech IS protected. The same would go if he praised neo-nazis or even NAMBLA.

.

Yep.

Actually the NAMBLA thing would be a problem as it is a group advocating something that is illegal, and considering he is teaching kids, It would basically force them to fire his ass.

Calling homosexuality a cesspool on facebook is not an illegal act. Buggering underage boys is definitely an illegal act.

Praising neo-nazi's is borderline, it all depends what act he is praising. If he is praising them doing a rally, then no issue, if he is praising them curb stopping some black dude, then problem.

It boils down to what act he is talking about, and its legality.

 

[bodecea]

My hard-wired bias has me wanting to applaud this teacher's reinstatement as well as the gay porn teacher's firing. I won't deny that. But something about the two strikes me as an inconsistent application of our 1st Amendment freedom of expression. As we were all reminded in mudmissile's epic fail thread yesterday (spilling into today), the 1st Amendment protects us from the government infringing upon our rights to free speech etc. And in both cases here it's a public school which qualifies as government. In one case, the teacher cannot be fired for spreading hatred on his own time because it's protected speech, but in the other case the teacher can be fired for allowing himself to be filmed having gay sex on his own time (before he even took the teaching job). So setting aside my built-in bias (and yours too), why would the 1st Amendment protect one teacher's job but not the other?

both should be reinstated.

there's gotta be another way. nobody wants a gay porn star teaching their kids. seriously. and nobody who understands and values tolerance wants a raging homophobe teaching them either. how do we inject a sliver of common sense into the equation that justifies dumping both of them but doesn't push us closer toward the proverbial slippery slope?

anyone up to that mental challenge?

He did that before teaching. How has it affected his ability to Teach?

And the second guy did it on his own time. How has it affected his ability to Teach?


And let us remember....BOTH are legal.

 

[manifold]

both should be reinstated.

there's gotta be another way. nobody wants a gay porn star teaching their kids. seriously. and nobody who understands and values tolerance wants a raging homophobe teaching them either. how do we inject a sliver of common sense into the equation that justifies dumping both of them but doesn't push us closer toward the proverbial slippery slope?

anyone up to that mental challenge?

He did that before teaching. How has it affected his ability to Teach?

And the second guy did it on his own time. How has it affected his ability to Teach?


And let us remember....BOTH are legal.

That still doesn't address the matter that it's not unreasonable for parents to not want their children in either person's classroom. So let's just say, hypothetically speaking, every parent of every student signs a letter informing the school that they've instructed their children that they're not allowed to take the homophobe's class? And if they get an F for the course so be it. If they get suspended for skipping class so bet it. Is the school obligated, under this set of circumstances, to keep employing this teacher?

 

[Montrovant]

In both cases, the knowledge becoming public might effect their ability to teach effectively. If they can't teach effectively, they need to either be let go or moved to a different position. It all depends on how the parents and students react, I guess.

In neither case should the teacher be fired unless that reaction forces it.

 

[Ravi]

Teacher Wins Free-Speech Battle After Anti-Gay Diatribe - TIME

Jerry Buell is back in the classroom, as he should be. Or, perhaps, shouldn't be. Buell, 54, a devout Baptist, family man and veteran teacher of American history at public Mount Dora High School in central Florida, might as well be the faculty heavy in an episode of Glee: this summer, he set off a national First Amendment fracas by announcing on Facebook that gay marriage is a "cesspool" that makes him vomit and mocks God. Buell's employer, the Lake County School District, removed him from the classroom last week for the first three days of the new school year, pending an investigation of the Facebook comments, then reinstated him on Aug. 25 presumably because it realized his speech in this case was protected.

Thoughts?

Are his students his "friends" on facebook? If so I can see him getting fired.

 

[manifold]

In both cases, the knowledge becoming public might effect their ability to teach effectively. If they can't teach effectively, they need to either be let go or moved to a different position. It all depends on how the parents and students react, I guess.

In neither case should the teacher be fired unless that reaction forces it.

And if the reaction isn't quite that absolute?

What if the letter is only signed by 20% of student's parents and that's just enough to make accommodating all of them individually impractical? Is it up to the school board's discretion as to how strong a reaction is required to justify the firing?

 

[manifold]

Teacher Wins Free-Speech Battle After Anti-Gay Diatribe - TIME

Jerry Buell is back in the classroom, as he should be. Or, perhaps, shouldn't be. Buell, 54, a devout Baptist, family man and veteran teacher of American history at public Mount Dora High School in central Florida, might as well be the faculty heavy in an episode of Glee: this summer, he set off a national First Amendment fracas by announcing on Facebook that gay marriage is a "cesspool" that makes him vomit and mocks God. Buell's employer, the Lake County School District, removed him from the classroom last week for the first three days of the new school year, pending an investigation of the Facebook comments, then reinstated him on Aug. 25 presumably because it realized his speech in this case was protected.

Thoughts?

Are his students his "friends" on facebook? If so I can see him getting fired.

What if they're not, but he allows the world to view his page?

 

[rdean]

If rdean had it his way, kids would have to have homosexual sex as part of their education

Liar.

Why is it your kind are so dirty? Are you a Republican? That would explain so much.

 

[rdean]

Family man. Republicans like to call themselves the "Party of Family Values". What a joke.

Maybe because they believe in the one true meaning of a family; man + woman = family. Anything else is just abnormal and wrong!!!

Historically, marriage has been lots of different combinations. Not even sure if one on one has been the most common. We're still here.

Maybe you should try "school". It might broaden you knowledge base.