Another teacher’s Facebook comments about gay kids under scrutiny
”I do not condone bullying or harassment of any kind and I am very aware and saddened by the negative impact this type of behavior creates. I regret that the posts appeared on Facebook. They do not reflect my personal views and I apologize for any and all offenses caused by the comment.”
Statement reportedly released by Joplin High School teacher Jim Whitney regarding a few surprising posts he allegedly made on Facebook. The Joplin Globe reports that one of Whitney’s former students, Josh Gonzales, became “fired up” after Whitney negatively responded to a link he had posted about a gay Canadian teen‘s suicide. (Joplin Globe)
Organizers at a Facebook group called Missourians for Marriage Equality have raised an alarm about the matter, but the intention and origin of Whitney’s comments are not entirely clear. The Globe says Whitney told Gonzales that his “account had been hacked.” An edited screen shot of the online conversation shows a post reacting to the suicide saying, “Moral of the story: Don’t be gay.”
Two weeks ago, a teacher in New Jersey was derided for writing on Facebook about her religiously-based opposition to homosexuality and a school display promoting LGBT history.
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