Teacher's Anti-Gay Comments: Fireable Offense or Free Speech?

Tonight, the Union Township school board meets under the cloud of controversy caused by anti-gay comments a teacher made on her personal Facebook page. The issue has grabbed headlines across the nation and led to discussions of teachers' ethics and free speech.

According to a report in the Star-Ledger, Union Township teacher Viki Knox, an ordained minister at a church in Clark used the phrase "perverted spirit"  "breeds like cancer" and the word "sin" to describe homosexuality. She was said to be railing against her school’s recognition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month.

Union school officials have said they are investigating the matter, but there doesn’t appear to be a solid line of right or wrong in this case. Or is there?

If this happened in Summit, would the teacher involved be fired right away?

According to the Summit Board of Education policy titled “Inapropriate Staff Conduct,” social networking sites (like Facebook) are considered the kinds of territory where school staff are required to exercise caution. It reads:

“The Commissioner of Education has determined inappropriate conduct by a school staff member outside their professional responsibilities may be considered conduct unbecoming a staff member. Therefore, school staff members are advised to be concerned with such conduct which may include, but are not limited to, communications and/or publications using e-mails, text-messaging, social networking sites, or any other medium that is directed and/or available to pupils or for public display.”


Also, under Summit’s teacher Code of Ethics, it reads educators:

Shall not on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, marital
status, political or religious beliefs, family, social or cultural background,
or sexual orientation, unfairly--

a. Exclude any pupil from participation in any program
b. Deny benefits to any pupil
c. Grant any advantage to any pupil


Supporters of Knox, including her pastor, according to the Star-Ledger report, say Knox didn’t cause any harm to students and was just expressing her views. “No American should expect to be prosecuted for exercising free speech,” Rev. Milton B. Hobbs told the Star-Ledger.

There are Facebook fan pages dedicated to the Knox controversy. One is called “Fire Viki Knox” and another is called “Support Viki Knox”.  The latter has a string of over 100 comments, with users debating her issue. “She lost her right when she became a teacher and started teaching our children,” writes Tina Auriemma.

Reports suggest that Knox’s fate as a teacher in Union Township will not be the official topic of tonight’s Board of Education meeting. However, the meeting's public comments component is sure to include mention of her. Activists from Garden State Equality, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights organization will be protesting and calling for Viki Knox's ouster in front of the board’s meeting place until 8p.m.