Jerry Buell Is a Shitty Teacher!

[Howey]

There's this story in the local press regarding a teacher in Mt. Dora, Florida who was suspended for posting what one could consider hatred towards gays on his personal Facebook page.

A Florida high school's "Teacher of the Year" has been suspended for an anti-gay post he wrote on his Facebook page last month.

Jerry Buell, a history teacher at Mount Dora High School in Mount Dora, Fla. wrote on his Facebook page that he "almost threw up" when he was having dinner and news came on of New York's decision to allow same-sex marriage showed up July 25.

"If they want to call it a union, go ahead," Buell wrote, according to ClickOrlando.com. "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???"

Left out of the above, but included in a story on FOX Radio, was this statement from Buell:

“And now they showed two guys kissing after their announcement."

See...here's the deal, Mr. Buell. You, Sir, are a teacher. Teachers are role models for students, who often look up to them for advice when troubled. Your job is to guide the student in the quest to make his or her own logical decision regarding a topic, not to give them your personal opinion.

You are there to instruct the student, not pontificate. That includes posting on a Facebook page that you made public by choice. Do you have students as friends on your Facebook page? Do your students view your Facebook page? Of course they do. Therefore, you have failed in your responsibilities as a teacher.

I'm not going to delve into your supposed First Amendment rights. Your obilgation to your students trumps any rights of personal expression you may feel you have in the public atmosphere.

Teacher of the Year? You don't deserve that honor, Sir.

[ekg]

I don't understand this reaction from these people. It doesn't make or break my marriage if anyone gets married. It doesn't ruin my dinner or my life if two men or two women exchange vows with each other.. and hell, it doesn't bother me if they kiss either... The outrage that some people feel on this issue is alien to me. Why would anyone care who someone loves and who they want to marry? If they are both consenting adults then why is it such an issue?

busybodies just want to tell people how to live because they themselves are too afraid to live. I get that, what I don't get is why do we let those kinds of people have any voice or power whatsoever?

[Howey]

I don't understand this reaction from these people. It doesn't make or break my marriage if anyone gets married. It doesn't ruin my dinner or my life if two men or two women exchange vows with each other.. and hell, it doesn't bother me if they kiss either... The outrage that some people feel on this issue is alien to me. Why would anyone care who someone loves and who they want to marry? If they are both consenting adults then why is it such an issue?

busybodies just want to tell people how to live because they themselves are too afraid to live. I get that, what I don't get is why do we let those kinds of people have any voice or power whatsoever?

What happens when the gay student of his comes to him and tells him he's being bullied? Will he advise him to find Jesus, man up and quit being a fucking sissy?

There's plenty of so-called Christian Academy's out there where this moron can spout his homophobic crap. Even then, someday he may or may not have to deal with the fact that his words could have saved a life. But didn't.

[Howey]

I'm beginning to see Rick Perry's line of thinking...God must have forced hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, and droughts upon us so we could see the error of our ways and change.

Perhaps that's also why God created buffoonish bigots such as this fool?

The problem is that it is only an issue because he is AGAINST gay marriage. If he were for it, no one would have said much for fear of being called a *gasp* homophobe.

No, dumbfuck. The issue is that the idiot posted a polarizing, homophobic statement on his public Facebook page for everyone to see, including and most especially his students.

I read quite a few comments on it from both sides and one of the main arguments against him is that people are sure that either he has gay students, either in his class or in the school. Because he is not supportive of their lifestyle, how can he teach them.

I call bullshit.

I've already replied to this example of poetic idiocy...

What happens when the gay student of his comes to him and tells him he's being bullied? Will he advise him to find Jesus, man up and quit being a fucking sissy?

There's plenty of so-called Christian Academy's out there where this moron can spout his homophobic crap. Even then, someday he may or may not have to deal with the fact that his words could have saved a life. But didn't.

[Howey]

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Wait. I did! 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-lk-lauren-ritchie-jerry-buell-082120110821,0,6932805.column

The rabid homophobes need to give it a rest.

The Mount Dora High School Teacher of the Year inadvertently started an international uproar after he remarked on Facebook that homosexuals make him want to vomit. Now, it seems that every guy nervous about his own sexuality has crawled from under a rock to defend Jerry Buell.

They argue that being gay runs counter to biblical teachings. They claim it is disgusting. They complain that the First Amendment guarantees Buell freedom of speech.

They miss the point. This is still America, and every bigot breathing gets to hate homosexuals as much as they want. That's a given.

This is not about sex in any form, including homosexuality. This is not about the Bible, and it's not about the Bill of Rights

This is simple: It is about basic respect between teachers and students, and nothing more.[/quote]

[Howey]

From the above blog:

Brett Winters, the former class president and prom king who complained to the school district, said "hateful" remarks like Buell's fuel bullying and heap even more emotional pressure on students struggling to sort out their own sexuality. Things are tough enough in high school — students shouldn't have to wonder if a teacher will treat them unfairly because he is repulsed by people like them.

[Howey]

Mr. Buell, of course, has been reinstated.

A Lake County teacher who made national headlines after making anti-gay comments on his Facebook page will be back in the classroom on Thursday.

Lake County School District Superintendent Susan Moxley reinstated Mount Dora High School social studies teacher Jerry Buell after his controversial anti-gay postings on Facebook.

"I'm excited about going back to school tomorrow," said Buell.

The school board decided Buell did not violate the district's code of conduct when he allegedly posted a comment on his Facebook wall saying that gay marriages made him want to throw up.

Buell missed the first three days of class because he was transferred to an administrative position during the investigation.

The district said the former Teacher of The Year posted on his personal Facebook that same sex unions are a "cesspool," which make him want to throw up.

Buell's comments angered several of his friends on the social network, including former and current students.

Mount Dora High School graduate filed a complaint with the district claiming Buell was "dangerous to gay students."

Moxley ruled Buell's posting did not violate the district's code of ethics, which states, "behavior that disrupts the orderly processes of the district is not allowed".

"Even when they leave the doors of the school, they're still bound by those code ethics," said Chris Patton, a spokesman for Lake County Public Schools.

Buell said he follows the U.S. Constitution, which he calls "the supreme law of the land".
"I was making a statement," said Buell. "Free speech, exercising my rights as a citizen of this country."

Moxley gave Buell a list of directives he needs to follow to return to work. It will not be made public for ten days.

The district is still investigating comments Buell made on a school web page and a class syllabus.

No, Mr. Buell. You do not view the Constitution as the "supreme law of the land". Immediately upon his reinstatement he hit the airwaves with the following statement:

"I am a man of God and I try to be like Jesus every day. I teach God's truth, I make very few compromises. If you believe you may have a problem with that, get your schedule changed, 'cause I ain't changing!"

If you truly view the Constitution as the "supreme law of the land", you wouldn't be telling your students to get the fuck out of your class if they don't agree with your Godly ways. See...I know you profess to be intelligent and all that...but there's this little thing called separation of church and state.

It's in that "law of the land" you refer to...

I certainly hope this issue isn't over. Hopefully the Lake County School Board does the right thing and throws your sorry ass to the curb:

Jerry Buell might not have violated a Lake County Schools ethics policy, but according to his lawyer the school district believes he violated the constitutional provision of separation of church and state.

"This is a brand new issue — a brand new controversy," said Harry Mihet, senior litigation counsel for the conservative Liberty Counsel who represents Buell. "We need the time to investigate the school's claim and the school's position to decide whether or not the school is on the correct Constitutional footing."

[Howey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnsfTNFijcw&feature=player_embedded

[bknabe]

Jerry Buell is an interesting case. I do share his belief that marriage is between a man and a woman, but that is as far as it goes. I do not share the hatred he showed by his statements, and I don't blindly support him because we share some beliefs. If he has been preaching his religion in the classroom, he should have been removed long ago. If he has treated any student with anything less than respect he should have been removed from the classroom. But when it came to his spewing his views on Facebook, the problem there was that he thought he had privacy. As much as some people want to deny it, if this had been someone spouting hatred against straight marriage it would have been ignored or laughed at. If it had been a gay teacher attacked because he didn't understand his Facebook settings we would be railing at the attackers and at Facebook for having such obfuscated privacy settings.

But this wasn't a fringe wingnut talking about straight marriage, or a gay teacher put in harms way because he didn't understand his Facebook settings, it was a fringe wingnut spouting against gay marriage, so he get international exposure (polarizing people who might have been able to at least peacefully coexist) and is pilloried. You might even say he's on the way to becoming a martyr if his career is damaged or ended because of his Facebook comments. That will not help the cause of gay marriage or gay rights in general.

The school may be showing the most wisdom of all, moving focus from gay bashing to separation of Church and State.

[Howey]

Jerry Buell is an interesting case. I do share his belief that marriage is between a man and a woman, but that is as far as it goes. I do not share the hatred he showed by his statements, and I don't blindly support him because we share some beliefs. If he has been preaching his religion in the classroom, he should have been removed long ago. If he has treated any student with anything less than respect he should have been removed from the classroom. But when it came to his spewing his views on Facebook, the problem there was that he thought he had privacy. As much as some people want to deny it, if this had been someone spouting hatred against straight marriage it would have been ignored or laughed at. If it had been a gay teacher attacked because he didn't understand his Facebook settings we would be railing at the attackers and at Facebook for having such obfuscated privacy settings.

But this wasn't a fringe wingnut talking about straight marriage, or a gay teacher put in harms way because he didn't understand his Facebook settings, it was a fringe wingnut spouting against gay marriage, so he get international exposure (polarizing people who might have been able to at least peacefully coexist) and is pilloried. You might even say he's on the way to becoming a martyr if his career is damaged or ended because of his Facebook comments. That will not help the cause of gay marriage or gay rights in general.

The school may be showing the most wisdom of all, moving focus from gay bashing to separation of Church and State.

Wow. What an intelligent response! As I told you, we may or may not agree politically, but I knew there was intelligence and sincerity in your Twitter replies and that you would be able to honestly express your views here.

Thanks for joining us! (Just watch out for that ekg chick. She bites!  )

[ekg]

hey..!

wait..

yeah ok, sometimes I do..

[bknabe]

Wow. What an intelligent response! As I told you, we may or may not agree politically, but I knew there was intelligence and sincerity in your Twitter replies and that you would be able to honestly express your views here.

Thanks for joining us! (Just watch out for that ekg chick. She bites!  )

Thanks. I believe you can be spiritual (even religious) without throwing reason out window.
 
As long as she's had her shots, I'm sure we'll be fine. :^)

[Howey]

As long as she's had her shots, I'm sure we'll be fine. :^)

hah!

[betteroffhere]

oy vey...really...

shitty because of what ?

because of his religious beliefs...hmmm...

or because of his poor performaning class that he instructs ?

i'm a little unclear on why he's a shitty teacher...

next question....why do gays feel the desire to wed ?

it's not just for the piece of paper is it...there's something else to it isn't there...

cause if there wasn't...you just each other power of attorney and enter into a professional business aggrement...

but you want more....don't ya...you wanted to be treated as equal...when the people you asking that from don't consider you equals...odd

[Howey]

oy vey...really...

shitty because of what ?

He's a shitty teacher because a: He brings his personal beliefs into the classroom, and b: He excludes one group of people from the benefits of his knowledge.

next question....why do gays feel the desire to wed ?

You already answered your own question, lilEE:

you wanted to be treated as equal...

and then you jumped right into the "why":

when the people you asking that from don't consider you equals...odd

That's not a problem of the gays. That's a problem of the bigots. Those who...

don't consider you equals