Some months ago, Queerty awarded Union High School teacher Viki Knox with our coveted Douche of the Week award for posting reams and reams of homophobic bile about LGBT History Month on her Facebook page .
Now the Union Township school board has finally closed its three-month investigation against Knox and filed paperwork to have her dismissed.
We’re glad the ball is finally rolling, but it could just be “the first step in what could be a lengthy and costly process to fire her,” reports the Star-Ledger.
While her case meanders through the system, Knox is on paid administrative leave from her $70,688-a-year job.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Sounds like a vacation. Lets hope it becomes permanent.
Ian
Hmm. On the one hand, what a deplorable human being. She’s hardly fit to teach children with that attitude — unless she keeps it entirely out of schools. I only read about half of the Facebook comment thread, but I didn’t see anything about her preaching in the classroom. If that’s the case, I’m extremely wary of them firing her based on speech that took place off of school grounds. If they do anything, it better be because her posting publicly on Facebook is against some kind of employee policy, not because she posted her opinion.
I’m more flabbergasted at how much he gets paid! My parents have been teaching for longer than she has, and make about $20,000 a year less. Guess that’s geographic differences for you.
Isaac C
Oh, the irony of an Afro-American being against gay rights. I’m sure she would hate it if white people were spouting off about why black people shouldn’t have any rights and using religion to justify it. She is a demented Xtian bitch and should not be around children if she cannot keep her bigotry to herself.
Cam
And let me guess, she will claim she is the victim because people will not let her attack others.
Manny
This pc stuff is getting out of hand.What happen to free speech.
Didaskalos
Linda Harpey count-down commencing now: ten, nine, eight….
Riker
@Manny: She still has free speech. The government is not saying she can’t spew her hatred, but she just can’t work there if she wants to. Freedom of speech protects you from the government blocking your speech. It doesn’t protect you from the social consequences of that speech. This is probably one of the most poorly understood things about the First Amendment: they can’t throw you in jail for speaking (with a few very limited exceptions, like inciting a riot), but your speech can have very real consequences. without outright prohibiting the speech.
Greenluv1322
Well obviously this is racist. Although I don’t agree with anything she said, she’s the first and only teacher I have know to be fired over her facebook postings. But white people have no problem putting a black person in the unemploymevmnt line.
Riker
@Greenluv1322: If you’ve been watching Queerty, there are several white employees who have been fired from their job because of bigoted comments.
Kylew
@Greenluv1322: And many UK teachers who have been fired cbecause of Facebook postings. Rightly so too.
Greenluv1322
@Riker: I don’t recall any. The white teacher in FL who said he threw up because of gay marriage in NY got “reassigned.” And I believe he was later allowed to teach again. I understand that NJ & FL are different states and different school boards, but appearances do matter. This seemingly unfair treatment for bigoted behavior is the type of story that helps the forces that seek to divide with the gay v. black meme. It’s the reason why so many black people have very little concern for gay people. It’s because they (we) are still treated like second class citizens, as a group.
Kylew
@Riker: Well put Riker. I would further add that any opinions that she puts out in the wild, must be considered, by their public nature, to be directed equally to her students as to her friends, and as such, it’s reasonable that she should be held accountable.
If she had said on her facebook that she all students were subhuman scum, nobody would have any problems with her being held accountable by the school for her out of school comments.
It’s not political correctness to want to keep homophobes out of the teaching profession.
David Aventura
@Isaac C: I do think she is a bigot, but that doesn’t discount the fact that you need serious therapy. If you can’t get it from your primary physician, step outside of your current HMO/PPO for additional treatment. It does get better, dude. Just take one step at a time.
Shannon1981
I don’t give a damn what anyone believes, but she needs to realize that her school and state are inclusive, and if she undermines that, she has no place in the school system. Period. Same with Clint McCance from Arkansas. Be a homophobe or whatever else all you like behind closed doors. But, the minute you open your opinions to the public, you face the loss of your public influence in a society that has moved beyond the acceptance of your bigoted beliefs.
David
The woman may be an ass but her opinions about are those of millions of American Christians. We can’t fire them all. Wouldn’t it be better to educate them?
Did she call for death or injury to anyone? No. She just said that she doesn’t believe in homosexuality or gay marriage.
Has there been any evidence of her discriminating against anyone at her place of employment? No.
Firing this woman just makes her a martyr. The school board could get far more done by sending her to sensitivity training.
Mary
@Cam It’s pathetic when (mostly) non-blacks believe black people have to accept and tolerate ‘any’ BEHAVIOR because blacks were racially discriminated against by whites. Race is NOT a behavior. Homosexuality can exist as a behavior acted out by a person of ANY race. To equate race with homosexuality is ridiculous. Many gay WHITE males were as racist as any white STRAIGHT males. And no bus driver telling blacks to get to the back of the bus asked them or a white person what their sexuality was as a factor in black oppression or white undeserved privileges. Black people have a right to choose what BEHAVIOR they support and what BEHAVIOR they find offensive to their sense of morals. And, once again, BEHAVIOR can be practiced by any race and it’s a mentally ill view to think that someone’s race (and a victim of racial abuse) should shun all criticism of behaviors that they find against their morals!
Kev C
@Mary: Behavior? Like how a person speaks, or acts, or walks, or dresses? Many people appear to be gay. Some of those who appear to be gay ARE gay, and some are not. And yet those people are attacked on the street in broad day light, in Amerca, in the year 2012 because of how they appear. Most of the time, the people doing the attacking are black. And then these bigots run and hide behind their religion, as if Jesus gives them the right to beat up homosexuals.
Esculapio Mitiríades Torquemada de la Cueva
@Mary: What are you going on about, woman?
Isaac C
@David Aventura: What are you talking about?
@Greenluv1322: If black people have such little concern for gay people, as you’re apparently calling it, then let them continue that apathetic attitude. It will just continue to show them as the reverse bigots they are. And I really don’t think you speak for all black people.
Mike UK
if she’d just made an off the cuff comment then sacking her is a bit harsh and she should have been given a warning about her conduct but as it appears she has written “reams and reams” of comments then I’m afraid she gets what she deserves!
Cam
@Manny: said…
“This pc stuff is getting out of hand.What happen to free speech.”
_____________________________________
That is an idiotic comment.
1. Free Speech refers to the 1st Amendment, which merely says that the GOVT. can’t arrest you for expressing your opinion.
2. Nobody is saying that she does not have the right to her opinion. However, as a teacher working at a govt. school, she is expressing an opinion in opposition to her employer. She is perfectly able to have that opinion, but they are perfectly within their rights to have rules on how employees behave.
3. Manny, I’m curious. If a waitress at HOOTERS, stood at the door and anytime men came in said “Fuck men!” “Men are assholes!” “Men are going to Hell!” Would Hooters have the right to fire her?
If you say no then you are a liar, and if you say yes, then you cannot argue that the school also had the right to fire this woman.
JDSwell
The hate she was spewing should be the secondary reason for firing her. Read what she wrote on her FB page and you will see she is clearly incompetent to be an English teacher. That’s right she is not just a teacher but an English teacher. Pathetic.
Shannon1981
@Mary: What the hell are you doing on a gay blog?
MikeE
@Mary: Oh mary (never dreamt I’d say THAT line)… of course you can be against whatever “behaviour” you want. But homosexuality isn’t a “behaviour”. It is a gender identity. Or a sexual preference. It is part of the psycho-sexual makeup of a person. It is unalterable (despite some claims to the contrary) and natural (same caveat).
Now, having beliefs that are taught to you by your religion? Now THAT is “behaviour”. There is nothing inherent about it. You CHOOSE to follow the tenets of your faith. You CHOOSE to behave accordingly.
Shannon1981
@Kev C: What’s even worse is that gay bashers often get slaps on the wrist. The people who assaulted me and my then girlfriend spent not so much as a second behind bars, and pleaded down to misdemeanor simple assault, rather than doing time for the original charge of aggravated assault and battery. Also, not charged with a hate crime. She was in the hospital for 21 days, I had a cracked skull. And people say there is nothing wrong with holding these “opinions.”
Esculapio Mitiríades Torquemada de la Cueva
@MikeE: “Oh mary (never dreamt I’d say THAT line)…”
Actual LOL. Thanks!
Shannon1981
@MikeE: You’re hilarious. I LOL’d too. Like, for real.
the crustybastard
What Ms Knox did was tantamount to a state judge publishing on her personal blog her opinion that black men are criminally inclined, and that she routinely gives lighter sentences to her co-religionists.
A public school is a branch of the government. A public school teacher is an agent of the government. One of the principle tasks of a teacher is to apply good and sound judgment in a fair-handed manner because her opinions can have very long-term consequences with respect to those she judges (much like a criminal law judge).
We, the people, should expect and must demand our government agents act justly and exercise good judgment absent bigotry and prejudice. A proudly bigoted public school teacher has proven that she cannot act justly or exercise good judgment, and so it is proper that she should be removed from her office.
This is neither a First Amendment issue nor a gay rights issue.
This is merely the remedial matter of the state dismissing a clearly incompetent and poorly vetted employee.
pierre
Kick her fat stupid black ass out the door!
LandStander
I hope that part of the reason they fired her was her horrendous spelling and grammar errors. Seriously, a teacher writing things like “Relationship does.” “…knowledge if sam…” and “…different angle then mine”, along with a 104 word run-on sentence (just in 1 post).
Shouldn’t a teacher know the difference between “then” and “than”?
Kei
@pierre, you’re an asshole. I don’t agree with anything she said but Blacks are not the only haters of gay people. Fat stupid black ass? Really? Do you call Rick a white pasty skinny prick when he spews his rhetoric? I don’t think you do. News Flash: Not every Black person hate gay people. I’m a lesbian who happens to be Black and my family, who are also Black, love me and support me as do many of my STRAIGHT BLACK FRIENDS. Seriously, some of you should get over yourself.
Kieran
Who are we kidding here? If Viki Knox were a white teacher who had made these kind of vile and bigoted comments publicly about black people or Jews she would have been FIRED from her teaching position IMMEDIATELY.
It’s time clueless, intolerant bigots like Knox and others of her ilk were put on notice that the days when hatred and bigotry could be directed against gay people without consequences are over.
MKe
They probably had a million reasons to fire her. When people have anger issues like that and are irrational they make tons of enemies in the workplace over a variety of issues. But what we all know she did is reason enough for her to be fired anyway.
Shannon1981
@pierre:Stop being an ass. I don’t think name calling/racist references are appropriate here at all. Yes, what the woman said was absolutely deplorable, but what you said was as well. That comment was out of line.
@Kieran: I think the first indication that you can hold those opinions all you want in private, but no longer in public was Clint McCance from that Arkansas school board who got ripped a new one and was forced to resign. People need to realize that bigoted opinions are no longer acceptable.
Bottom line: You can be a bigot all you want, but if you want to keep your job, you better not show it in public.
Shannon1981
@Kieran: I don’t think race came into play here at all. I think they drug their feet because they don’t quite know how to handle this kind of intolerance. If this had been a racist or anti semitic rant, she’d have been out of the classroom the next day. I think it is still too acceptable sometimes to spew homophobia, because people can cloak THAT brand of bigotry in religious belief, as Ms. Knox did, and as so many others do.
Kev C
@Shannon1981: I’m sorry to hear this but I know how it is. While police, DAs, and courts often ignore bias crimes against gays, EMS and human services are much more helpful and sympathetic. Don’t be ashamed to seek compensation from the government for it. Chances are good you (and others who experience bias crime) will get it.
Global Traveler
There have been several teachers who were fired because they made adult films. In many cases, the films were made years before they even started teaching. So if you can be fired for doing something completely legal off the job such as this, then you can be fired for Facebook postings.
Glad they got rid of her….and I know I’m beating a dead horse here, but I’ve never understood members of the LGBT community who are racist, and I’ve never understood how a person of color could be homophobic. Go figure.
David Aventura
@Kieran: Enough of your lies. All too often, heterosexual whites make racist and homophobic statements and never apologize for them. Instead, they apologize if “anyone has been offended.” So, they are sorry that they hurt your feelings. But, they are not sorry for what they said. These bigots are never fired. It’s simply a big moment in the press that soon fades away. So, enough of your lies that a white person would be fired instantly. It doesn’t happen that way, and you know it.
Cam
@Mary: said…
“@Cam It’s pathetic when (mostly) non-blacks believe black people have to accept and tolerate ‘any’ BEHAVIOR because blacks were racially discriminated against by whites.”
___________________-
MAry, I get it, you’re a bigot, but while you’re sitting there trying to claim blacks can do whatever they want because they were discriminated against and gays aren’t let me ask you something….how many black children where kicked out of their houses because their parents discovered they were black?
You just want to claim victimhood and used whatever excuse you can to allow YOU to be a bigot or a racist. But I’m not surprised, it’s what ignorant bigots always do.
Cam
I think many people pointed out something disturbingly true about our schools….
Looking at what she wrote, how is it that this woman wasn’t fired YEARS ago from her job teaching English?! She couldn’t write out her bigoted thoughts without a gigantic number of grammar and spelling mistakes. How is she supposed to teach and correct children when she herself is incapable of writing correctly?!
Johnny
The real irony is how many racist gay white people start spewing their bigotry whenever a homophobic black person is thrust into the limelight.
Suddenly “all” black people are homophobic, even gay black people, and straight black allies are clearly homophobic.
All black people are open to racist comments from white gays because being gay is a “whites only” club.
Yet when this same behavior of homophobia comes from the mouth of white person race isn’t brought up, no racist commentary is made, and often times if it’s a male he’s referred to as “hot”.
You wonder why most of us don’t take you seriously. You are the reason there is a racial divide in the so called gay community, you are the reason the pro-gay movement is stagnating, you are the reason our pro-gay arguments get shut down, and you know who you are.
Stop being racist, stop making homophobia about race, stop thinking no one notices your hypocrisy, stop creating a much bigger problem.
Until I stop seeing racism freely fly from the mouths of white gay men I will continue to consider myself black first because I will not help someone who would kick me in the teeth as soon as he gets everything he wants.
White gay men are the only bigots so bold as to throw me glares and make nasty comments out loud about me in West Hollywood based on the color of my skin assuming I’m a homophobe when I’m a gay man who just wants to be around other gay men. This is what YOU bigots do. I couldn’t care less about that teacher when there are monsters like you running around trying to intimidate any gay men who aren’t white so you can go back to pretending like we don’t exist. …Unless of course there’s something you want then we’re only allowed around to serve you until you get your “rights”.
Self-centered, moronic, assholes.
Ely
Johnny, you’re the one who is sounding like the self-centered, moronic asshole. Grow up. Stop making everything about race. It’s old, it’s tired and frankly, it just doesn’t work anymore. We’ve moved past the 1980s. People like Viki Knox need to learn a lesson. We don’t care if she’s black, orange or purple. She needs to be taught that her homophobia is wrong and that it has consequences.
Shannon1981
@Kev C: I’ve looked into it, but it seems the statute of limitations has run out. The closest thing would be a sort of class action lawsuit/restitution for LGBT hate crimes victims.
Isaac C
@Johnny: You have race problems and clearly need some help. I know how whitewashed West Hollywood and other major gay ghettos are but you accomplish nothing by throwing a racial tantrum like this.
@Ely: Yep.
@Cam: Agreed.
@Shannon1981: I agree, Shannon. Thankfully I think we are seeing a move to labeling bigoted religious groups/people as hate groups or hate-mongerers. The Southern Poverty Law Center’s classification of the Family Research Council is just one example.
Cam
@Johnny: said…
“The real irony is how many racist gay white people start spewing their bigotry whenever a homophobic black person is thrust into the limelight.
Suddenly “all” black people are homophobic, even gay black people, and straight black allies are clearly homophobic.”
___________________-
Interesting, you are so desperate to attack white people that you take an article about a homophobic nutjob attacking gays and use it as an excuse to air your racist views. You need some serious help.
Isaac C
@Cam: Figured it was Interesting. Sounds like something he would say, since he’s so anti-white. What’s sad is that he obviously doesn’t have the balls to post his racist “anti-white gays” rant using his usual moniker.
Roger
God bless Viki Knox