NJ Teacher on Facebook: Gays Are 'Like Cancer'

A New Jersey high school teacher reportedly posted anti-gay remarks to her Facebook page that included claims that being gay is a "sin" and a comment that compared gays to cancer, an Oct. 13 article from local newspaper the Star-Ledger that was re-posted to NJ.com said.

The Facebook tirade was evidently in response to Union High School, in Union Township, NJ, celebrating LGBT History Month. As part of the observance, the school put together an "exhibit [that] consisted of the names and photos of famous LGBT Americans, including Harvey Milk, Chaz Bono and actor Neil Patrick Harris, with a banner, 'Lesbian Gay Bi and Transgender History Month,' " according to an Oct. 13 media release from Garden State Equality.

"A Facebook conversation points to the statements as being made by a Viki Knox, the same name as a teacher at Union High School," the release noted.

The teacher in question, Viki Knox, allegedly posted complaints about the exhibit at her Facebook page, and called gays "perverted," the Star-Ledger article said.

A lawyer, former judge, and former township council member named John Paragano circulated screen shots of the remarks, supplying them to the Star-Ledger and to Garden State Equality. The offensive remarks and the heated responses they generated have evidently been scrubbed from the page at this point, but the screen shot shows the exchanges, in which Knox seems to post suggestions that homosexuality is the work of an evil spirit "that has existed from the beginning of creation," the newspaper article said.

The remarks also suggest a belief that homosexuality is a contagious condition, saying that being gay is a state of "sin" that "breeds like cancer," the article and media release reported.

"Union is not South Orange/Maplewood where one out of four families consist of two Mommies or daddies," the Facebook tirade read. "Why parade your unnatural immoral behaviors before the rest of us?

"I/we do not have to accept anything, anyone, any behavior or any choices!" the posting continued. "I do not have to tolerate anything others wish to do."

The posting went on to state, "That's what I teach and preach," reported the Garden State Equality media release.

Knox serves as "the faculty adviser to the high school's student prayer group, The Seekers Fellowship, the local chapter of a nationwide organization," noted the Star-Ledger article.

The idea that homosexuality is a "choice" is widely embraced by anti-gay evangelicals. Some also believe that gays are not born with the innate characteristic of experiencing romantic and sexual attraction to members of the same gender, but rather "turn" gay due to demonic possession. In some cases, gays have been subject to "exorcisms" intended to purge evil spirits and "cure" them.

Paragano suggested that such language did not belong in the state's school system.

"Hateful public comments from a teacher cannot be tolerated," Paragano declared. "She has a right to say it. But she does not have a right to keep her job after saying it."

Garden State Equality also suggested that Knox continuing in her job as an educator would be inappropriate, and cited New Jersey's new anti-bullying law, reputed to be the toughest in the nation. The GLBT advocacy group pointed out that the law bans cyber-bullying, and suggested that a teacher who modeled such behavior did not belong in the public school system.

"It's hard to believe that anyone would oppose an exhibit of photos of famous LGBT people in history," said Garden State Equality head Steve Goldstein. "That's tantamount to wanting to erase the very existence of LGBT people--an erasure with horrible overtones that would run counter to the diversity of our state and nation."

In California, just such an impulse to eradicate gay history seemed to be at work recently, as foes of newly enacted legislation mandating schools to include the contributions of GLBT Americans in the curriculum. An effort to put a ballot question before voters that would rescind that law officially failed as of Oct. 12, an Associated Press article reported.

There is no similar law in New Jersey, but GLTB leaders see the state's much-praised anti-bullying law as a model. The law was passed in the wake of a Rutgers University student, Tyler Clementi, leaping to his death from the George Washington Bridge last year, following an alleged incident of cyber-spying in which his roommate used a webcam to peek in on Clementi's intimate encounter with another man.

Goldstein noted that while the law is firm and comprehensive in protecting students from bullying, it also allows for disagreement and freedom of speech.

"This situation, at least as it stands now, does not present a violation of that law," Goldstein noted. "But this situation also calls for the school to look at the big picture as to the appropriateness of having Ms. Knox--if she did write these posts--teach our youth.

"The posts even say, '...That's what I teach and preach,' " Goldstein noted.

The ACLU was quick to weight in and defend Knox's free speech rights.

"Although we do not agree with the sentiments expressed on Ms. Knox's personal Facebook page, her comments are protected by the First Amendment," ACLU Legal Director Ed Barocas stated. "The ACLU believes that the response to offensive speech is not the restriction of speech, but more speech."

But Garden State Equality suggested that there were limits, as well as proper times and places, for language that attacks minorities.

"Teachers are supposed to be role models for our children, not hatemongers," Goldstein told the Star-Ledger. "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 head of the GLBT advocacy group also addressed the issue of anti-gay free speech in the media release.

"It is one thing to hold anti-gay views--that's protected in America--but it would be another thing to vow to teach them in the classroom in a public school," Goldstein noted. "If these posts are indeed those of Union High School Teacher Viki Knox, it is difficult to see how she could be a role model, or be effective in implementing a law designed to ensure that youth of all different backgrounds teach each other with mutual respect.

"The school district is correct to investigate, and if these remarks are confirmed as being from Ms. Knox, it would be appropriate for the school to take action," Goldstein added.

"Knox did not respond to requests for comment," the Star-Ledger reported. "But two other people who wrote comments on the thread said Paragano's copy was authentic."

Personal Views, Public Employees

The article also took note of the uncertainty around the use of public forums such as Facebook for publicly employed individuals such as teachers to set forth personal views, especially when those views might be seen as harmful to others.

"The case raises broader questions about rights of teachers to speak freely in the age of social media," the Star-Ledger article said.

The situation regarding Knox's alleged anti-gay Facebook postings is far from unique. In August, a Florida teacher named Jerry Buell was taken out of the classroom and given administrative duties for three days last month after writing a Facebook post saying that he "almost threw up" at the news that marriage equality had been legalized in New York.

Buell, who had won the "Teacher of the Year" award at Mount Dora High School in Lake County, also called marriage between committed persons of the same gender a "cesspool."

Buell was reinstated to the classroom following an investigation into whether his comment constituted a violation of the school's code of conduct. School officials said that the code of conduct applies even when employees leave school for the day, but Buell insisted that his anti-gay speech was Constitutionally protected.

"I was making a statement," Buell told the media. "Free speech, exercising my rights as a citizen of this country."

In northern Arkansas last year, a school board member generated headlines and heat when he posted comments in response to a national movement to wear purple in memory of a number of GLBT teens that had killed themselves. The gesture was organized to take place on National Coming Out Day in 2010. Clint McCance posted that he would wear purple only "if they all commit suicide," which some interpreted as McCance encouraging gay youths to engage in self-destructive behavior.

On his own Facebook page, McCance wrote, "Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE."

In an exchange with others who posted protests at his page, McCance added, "If you get easily offended by being called a fag then dont tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I dont care how people decide to live their lives.... It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you arent against it, you might as well be for it."

In response to another challenge, McCance replied, "I would disown my kids they were gay. They will not be welcome at my home or in my vicinity. I will absolutely run them off. Of course my kids will know better. My kids will have solid christian beliefs."

McCance later resigned from the school board, following a deluge of attention in the press.

Other public employees have also run into trouble, and controversy, with anti-gay Facebook postings.

A paramedic with the Nashville Fire Department posted anti-gay messages online at Facebook as well as on the fire department's own web page, prompting a two-month suspension, the Associated Press reported on Sept. 21.

Kevin Kennedy, who had been with the department for two decades, reportedly posted a message last month to the effect that two openly gay work colleagues should "crawl back into the closet." Kennedy also referred to homosexuality as a perversion. In addition to posting anti-gay comments at his personal Facebook account, Kennedy also reportedly trashed gays at the web page for Nashville Fire Department Emergency Medical Services.

The longtime veteran had never before faced disciplinary action in the course of his career, although, according to a local newspaper account, "Before the suspension, Kennedy was charged with five counts of misconduct, including participation in a pattern of harassment toward a Metro employee and using threat of violence or intimidation toward others, according to his charge sheet."

The department's spokesperson, Deputy Chief Kim Lawson, indicated that the severity of his punishment was a result of how seriously the department took the incident.

"We have a diverse group of employees in the fire department who respond to the needs of a diverse community," Lawson told the media, going on to say that Kennedy's posting of anti-gay remarks "disrupts the order of discipline. We have an important job. These actions in no way are tolerated."

Fire department officials said that the postings, accompanied by a photo of Kennedy in uniform, were in violation of social media policies by which the department's employees were expected to abide.

"In no way did we want people to think the department was associated with anti-gay comments," Lawson stated.

The department's stance and actions drew praise from GLBT equality advocates who took note of the state's new law preventing municipalities from extending GLBT-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinances.

Tenn. Gov. Bill Haslam signed that law on the evening of May 23, with little lead-time and over the objections of the Tennessee business community. The anti-gay law came about in response to a Nashville ordinance that sought to protect the GLBT workers of contractors seeking city contracts.

The local firefighters' union was ready and willing to help Kennedy should he choose to appeal his punishment. The union president, Mark Young, called Kennedy "a superior paramedic" and told the media that the fire department veteran "regrets the decision he made" to post anti-gay remarks.

"Does the punishment fit the crime?" Young added. "Well, that's a matter of opinion."