The Internet undoes another life. A gay Columbus, Ohio substitute teacher resigned after school officials found comments about a gay student on the teacher’s blog.
An openly gay substitute teacher accused of talking about a student’s sexuality on his personal Web site has resigned in the wake of local media coverage that detailed his own sexual orientation and the blog’s contents.
Columbus, Ohio, school officials had been investigating possible student-privacy violations stemming from comments made on the blog of Jared Bollenbacher, 23, a substitute teacher at Columbus high schools and middle schools.
The blog entries on Bollenbacher’s site chronicle his classroom experiences, and one included crude references to student he thought might be gay…
Bollenbacher tried to plead his case to school officials, but they weren’t having it and deemed his blog, which had pictures of him in his undies, “unbecoming the teaching profession.” Yes, blogging sure is unbecoming.
Rt. Rev. Dr. RES
I thought that Ohio was a blue state neighbouring California ? LOL. Community values play a part about what constitutes free speech. This arguement is still being played out in society and in courts.
I have a problem about violation of privacy, and the hint of paedophilic tendencies. As a parent, I also believe that this individual has “issues” that should deny him access to students.
I firmly believe, as a parent, that gay and lesbian teachers who are moral, upstanding, and often parents themselves, have unnecessary prejudice and bigotry lopped upon them because of individuals mentioned in this article, and his alleged transgressions.
faghag
Any chance of you actually posting a link to this blog?
SexintheCity
That sucks. A personal blog costing a job. What is next? Hangings?
John
Rt. Rev. Dr. RES:
What are you basing your assumption on by saying this teacher shows a hint of paedphilic tendencies? Have you read his blog (I can’t seem to gain access to it) to even know what he said about the student? Does he say he wants to have sex with the student? From what I can gather, he only states that he sensed that both he and the student “like dick.” There’s nothing paedophilic about having the sense that someone else is gay, regardless of their age. I’m just curious if you know something the rest of us don’t, or if you’re simply jumping to conclusions with no base.
Rt. Rev. Dr. RES
John – mea maxima culpa….for my intent was to suggest that making any comments on the sexuality of a minor under your professional care pictured on your blog with just your underwear, might be inappropriate. I would probably not be far off if the school board, however, in firing him had those concerns uppermost in their minds.
I did NOT intend to suggest anything other that the behaviour could be construed as inappropriate and lead neocon and fascists to hint at much worse.
My apologies for framing my thoughts in a lazy way as to be misunderstood. Thank you for pointing it out, John.
Mr. B
I don’t disagree with the fact that it’s problematic for schools to police people’s personal lives. However, there is such a thing as professionalism and any smart grownup should think twice about what he or she posts on the internet. Especially if it involves photos of oneself in one’s undies. So this is hardly a witch hunt against an innocent person.
Sorry, but this is a teacher. A sub, sure, but still someone who is expected to be in a position of authority over minors. Does no one else think it’s a bit tacky, if not outright inappropriate, for a teacher of ANY gender and ANY sexual orientation to speculate on the internet where anyone could see it about a STUDENT’S sexual proclivities (and to call that student by name, no less)? I mean, it wasn’t even like he said “I worry about John because I can tell he’s having identity issues and I hope he knows he has me to turn to if he needs advice or support.” He had to put it in a totally sexual context. I wouldn’t call that pedophilia, because even if the kid isn’t eighteen he’s still presumably a sexually mature teen, but it is inappropriate given the accused’s position of authority. If you want to ruminate on what your student does with his private parts, go for it, but don’t be so dumb as to talk about it on PUBLIC BLOG ENTRIES and then cry foul when you get caught.
I’ll say it again–if you’re going to show your underwear and write about a student of yours liking dick on the internet, then you’d better be ready to accept the consequences.
Rt. Rev. Dr. RES
As a parent, I absolutely agree with Mr.B in his remarks. The points that he makes should mirror my beliefs as well.
Alan down in Florida
There is no expectation of privacy on the web and if this man (in his underwear or fully clothed) has mentioned the student by name he has “outed” that person to a multiplicity of people who had no need to know – even if the student was open and out. This is a violation of the student’s privacy and the orientation of the blogger is irrelevant to the problem of what was he did wrong.
Bucky
I agree with previous posts. People in a position of authority, particularly those who work with children, are under intense scrutiny and unfortunately need to sanitize the world’s view of their own personal lives so that they can avoid offending parents.
Posting pics of yourself in your undies, for public viewing, is potential trouble for a teacher – but posting the suspected sexual preference of an underage student is just wrong. This kid would presumably face homophobic classmates, and his parents can’t possibly be happy to have a gay teacher talking about their own son/daughter in a public forum in that manner.
That said…I too live in Columbus and know Mr. Bollenbacher through mutual friends (I see him around fairly regularly). He’s fairly young himself, and I would say there’s about a 1% chance he was hitting on the student in question. I think Jared prefers them older…more of a take-charge type.
John
Thanks for clarifying, REV. I agree that it was inappropriate for him to discuss a student on his personal blog; I just wanted to be sure we weren’t equating bad judgment with pedophilia.
Mr. B, I read somewhere that he did NOT mention the student’s name in his blog.
Mr. B
John: fair enough. Still, he crossed a line. Teachers have fairly public personas, especially in an age where bosses Google interviewees’s names and most high school students have some kind of regular internet access. Bottom line was, he should have known better.
Gregg
Can we PLEASE STOP with the pedophilia references??!! Pedophilia is about wanting sex with PRE-pubescent children. Was he talking about children? No. He was talking about an adolescent.
I think the teacher’s behavior was pretty stupid and foolish. But why must the spectre of pedophilia be raised every time someone expresses a sexual thought about a younger person?
We can discuss the morality of the teacher without resorting to the extremely charged word – “pedophile”.
Herseeday
Hi, hello, privet
newsvendor
David Rozins
yeah, this is just ridiculous…
hey, if any gays want to talk i love sharing feelings and talking about problems we face.. please call my cell 914 400 6145… i’m david
Anna-Müller
I cannot believe this will work!
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