Florida teacher pulled from classroom after anti-gay Facebook posts
Thu. August 18, 2011 5:53 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
Teacher calls same-sex marriage a “cesspool”
Orlando, FL -
A high school teacher in Central Florida is in trouble after he made anti-gay comments on Facebook.
Administrators at Mount Dora High School are investigating comments Jerry Buell made on the social networking site, according WKMG-TV.
"I'm watching the news, eating dinner, when the story about New York okaying same sex unions came on and I almost threw up," Buell posted on his Facebook page on July 25.
"If they want to call it a union, go ahead. But don't insult a man and woman's marriage by throwing it in the same cesspool as same-sex whatever! God will not be mocked. When did this sin become acceptable???," he added.
School officials received an email complaint earlier this week by Brett Winters, a former student, which prompted administrators to temporarily reassign the history teacher while they conduct an investigation.
"What bothered me most about the whole situation in general is that it was hateful language and the hateful language by someone like Mr. Buell, it's a danger to gay students," Winters told News13.com.
In response to complaints from some of his more than 700 Facebook friends, Buell wrote, "If one doesn't like the most recently posted opinion, based on Biblical principals and God's law, then go ahead and un-friend me. I'll miss you like I miss my kidney stone from 1994."
Buell's 30 year teaching career could come to an end over the derogatory statements because Florida public school teachers are bound by the Department of Education's code of ethics, which prohibits discrimination based on race, religion and sexual orientation.
"If he is willing to say this on Facebook to students because the man is friends with multiple students, just as big of a deal as saying it in the classrooms," concluded Winters.
Administrators at Mount Dora High School are investigating comments Jerry Buell made on the social networking site, according WKMG-TV.
"I'm watching the news, eating dinner, when the story about New York okaying same sex unions came on and I almost threw up," Buell posted on his Facebook page on July 25.
"If they want to call it a union, go ahead. But don't insult a man and woman's marriage by throwing it in the same cesspool as same-sex whatever! God will not be mocked. When did this sin become acceptable???," he added.
School officials received an email complaint earlier this week by Brett Winters, a former student, which prompted administrators to temporarily reassign the history teacher while they conduct an investigation.
"What bothered me most about the whole situation in general is that it was hateful language and the hateful language by someone like Mr. Buell, it's a danger to gay students," Winters told News13.com.
In response to complaints from some of his more than 700 Facebook friends, Buell wrote, "If one doesn't like the most recently posted opinion, based on Biblical principals and God's law, then go ahead and un-friend me. I'll miss you like I miss my kidney stone from 1994."
Buell's 30 year teaching career could come to an end over the derogatory statements because Florida public school teachers are bound by the Department of Education's code of ethics, which prohibits discrimination based on race, religion and sexual orientation.
"If he is willing to say this on Facebook to students because the man is friends with multiple students, just as big of a deal as saying it in the classrooms," concluded Winters.