Gay advocates want NJ teacher fired for anti-gay Facebook postings
posted at 12:23 pm on October 19, 2011 by Howard Portnoy
[ Culture ]
A Union Township, New Jersey, teacher is facing the music for comments she posted on her personal Facebook page in which she called homosexuality “a perverted spirit that has existed from the beginning of creation” and a “sin.” If gay advocates get their way, 49-year-old Viki Knox will also be facing the firing squad, figuratively speaking.
Knox teaches at a school that is currently celebrating Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender History Month. In her Facebook comments she makes specific—and critical—reference to the school display shown on this page.
John Paragano, an attorney and former town councilman, sent the district a copy of Knox’s Facebook commentary along with his unsolicited opinion, to wit:
Hateful public comments from a teacher cannot be tolerated. She has a right to say it. But she does not have a right to keep her job after saying it.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey argues otherwise. ACLUNJ legal director Ed Barocas is on record as saying:
Although we do not agree with the sentiments expressed on Ms. Knox’s personal Facebook page, her comments are protected by the First Amendment. The ACLU believes that the response to offensive speech is not the restriction of speech, but more speech.
Meanwhile, the battle lines have been drawn. A gay rights group that dubs itself Garden State Equality has joined Paragano in demanding Knox’s dismissal. Steven Goldstein, who chairs the groupis quoted by NJ.com as saying:
Teachers are supposed to be role models for our children, not hatemongers. I don’t see how this teacher could possibly be effective in implementing the state’s new anti-bullying law, designed precisely to teach children that bullying, including cyber-bullying, is unacceptable.
The law in question was adopted last spring after a Rutgers student committed suicide upon learning that a video of him kissing another man had gone public.
In the opposing camp is Knox’s pastor, who argues another aspect of his parishioner’s First Amendment rights—her freedom to express her heartfelt religious views. Rev. Milton B. Hobbs, of New Covenant Fellowship in Clark, New Jersey, notes:
It’s not saying that people who are gay sin any more or less than anyone else. But to say that the Bible doesn’t say it’s a sin would be untrue. It does say that.
Any Christian who makes a stand that’s unpopular can expect to be persecuted. That’s in the Bible, too. But no American should expect to be prosecuted for exercising free speech. At what point does that stop?
The against Knox case is similar in many respects to one involving a Florida teacher who had posted comments opposing New York’s gay marriage lawon his personal Facebook page.That teacher, Jerry Buell, was suspended after his comments were made public but won a lawsuit against the school district and has been reinstated.
Related Articles
- CA teacher will lower grade of any student who says ‘God bless you’
- Teacher suspended for Facebook comments on NY gay marriage law
- Anti-gay marriage group swears revenge on NY pols
- DEVELOPING: 2nd graders perform sex acts in class; teacher suspended
- Middle school teacher’s letter to parents gets a failing grade
Follow me on Twitter or join me at Facebook. You can reach me at howard.portnoy@gmail.com or by posting a comment below.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
I notice Chris Christie says it’s Knox whose behavior is “disturbing” in this case.
In the terms in which victim-groups speak, Knox and her beliefs are the target of hate speech, demonization, marginalization, and discrimination.
A suggested alternate title:
“New Jersey haters fire teacher for free speech”
J.E. Dyer on October 19, 2011 at 12:33 PM
That should have been:
“New Jersey haters want teacher fired for free speech”
(Sigh)
J.E. Dyer on October 19, 2011 at 12:34 PM
J.E., point taken. As for Christie, I believe he was being politic in this case, siding with the “aggrieved” rather than with the “aggressor.”
Time to rethink the whole notion of “hate speech”?
Howard Portnoy on October 19, 2011 at 12:43 PM
To do so would be hateful, hater! /
catmman on October 19, 2011 at 12:47 PM
Expressing views against homosexuality is hate speech and the teacher should lose her job.
Expressing views about eating and killing the rich is speaking truth to power and those who say it should be given jobs – by the same rich they wish to kill ironically.
catmman on October 19, 2011 at 12:50 PM
HP, catmman — apparently we’ve got a Hater Quorum here, so let’s take that vote on rethinking now!
I’m a hater, you’re a hater, he’s a hater, she’s a hater… Haters of the world, YOO-NITE!
J.E. Dyer on October 19, 2011 at 12:50 PM
Why do I suddenly have a desire to drink Dr. Pepper?
DrAllecon on October 19, 2011 at 1:07 PM
Because you “got” it.
J.E. Dyer on October 19, 2011 at 1:10 PM
I would love for “hate speech” to fall by the wayside. If people are truly hateful in their speech, society will condemn them.
I have to (reluctantly) concede a point to Paragano. Free speech means that a person can’t be arrested for what they say, not that there can never be repercussions to what a person says.
I don’t think she should lose her job over her comments, but her employers would be within their rights to fire her over it if they chose to.
DrAllecon on October 19, 2011 at 1:17 PM
My sister and I used to drive our parents crazy running around the house singing that song. Probably one of the most sucessful ad campaigns in modern TV history.
Or at least it made one heck of a fine earworm.
DrAllecon on October 19, 2011 at 1:20 PM
I agree, with the caveat that when a public school fires a teacher over speech, it’s not a private matter. That doesn’t make it a federal matter — or inherently a matter of “eternal/universal principles” or “core principles” in which a nation must, of necessity, interest itself.
But it is a public issue, and the people in the school district have an interest and a right to object, one way or the other. That includes recalling the school board and/or having new policy written.
J.E. Dyer on October 19, 2011 at 1:51 PM
Shoe on other foot. Doesn’t look so good does it?
Sekhmet on October 19, 2011 at 2:12 PM
I certainly agree with that as well.
DrAllecon on October 19, 2011 at 2:20 PM
How about they celebrate “Math Month” no ones feelings would get hurt & they could have Pi.
What exactly are public schools for?
batterup on October 19, 2011 at 3:58 PM
Can’t have Pi any more. First Lady is cracking down.
Howard Portnoy on October 19, 2011 at 4:01 PM
Tolerance, on display from those claiming to want tolerance.
AnotherOpinion on October 19, 2011 at 4:44 PM
Have to love the tolerant gays. Dissent must be crushed, punished, and destroyed in every way possible.
They see nothing wrong with forcibly taking 1st graders to lesbian weddings, but say anything against their agenda is an offense punishable by loss of job, home, business, and destruction of property. If you are in the “wrong place” when you dissent from the gay über alles message, then if you get hurt, beat, intimitated for holding a “cross of taunt” as JetBoy calls it–its your fault.
The Gay rights movement is about as classically liberal as Stalin.
Vanceone on October 19, 2011 at 5:09 PM
This is the source of the aggression.
The school teacher will end up punished for reacting angrily to having her nose rubbed in it.
Christie is just a liberal who got annoyed with unions.
Feedie on October 19, 2011 at 5:35 PM
How is it that a teacher can be fired for comments on facebook, but not for being a lousy teacher?
Count to 10 on October 20, 2011 at 8:17 AM
Good question.
Howard Portnoy on October 20, 2011 at 9:09 AM
It is psychologically unhealthy to believe that your characteristics and choices are above criticism, hostility, and mockery. That applies to being gay as much as being Christian or even being a that noblest form of terrorist, a Muslim. Other people will understand us in ways that we will disagree with. Some of those understandings of us will be hostile, because the human race is like that. It is best to accept those hostile misunderstandings as part of our story, the rough patches in the environment in which we strive to create conditions for our flourishing.
Also, consider a gay student who never meets a teacher who thinks homosexuality is sin. After he leaves his educational hothouse to the real world where there is homophobia, how is he going to cope? Isn’t it best to learn as part of the education.
It’s also worth pointing out that the most effective spokesman that this New Jersey school has about anti-gay bullying is Ms. Knox. I have the reasonable hope that she would find such bullying as repugnant as do the gay groups.
thuja on October 20, 2011 at 11:28 AM
Tolerance in action. And death to those who won’t be tolerant, whatever we want to rub under your noses.
What a bunch of hypocrites.
VastRightWingConspirator on October 20, 2011 at 12:48 PM
Thread winner, right there.
FB is turning out to be a dangerous place to spend your time if you value your job. One of my co-workers was fired for making a negative comment about our office manager on FB on her work computer (they have spy software on all our computers). I don’t even post anymore unless it’s for the most innocuous stuff. I certainly never post my political views or anything as controversial as the “wrong” opinion on gay marriage.
The free speech deniers are winning, even if this woman’s job is re-instated; the deniers have made it clear that you will be punished if you oppose them in any way.
inmypajamas on October 21, 2011 at 8:41 AM