Rick Coupland, a business professor at at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ontario, is asking everyone to “please pray for me and my job” after a complaint was filed against him for saying gay people should be hanged.
The comment was made on Coupland’s personal Facebook page earlier this month when he shared a link to a story about the city of St. Petersburg, FL raising a rainbow flag for in celebration of Pride along with the caption: “It’s the queers they should be hanging, not the flag.”
Related: Back To School Nightmare: The Professor Who Thinks Being Gay Is Like Smoking Or Obesity
A former student saw the post and contacted Coupland’s employer. Later that day, the professor wrote a post saying he had been called into work and advised to “bring a representative” to discuss the comments.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Kelly Wiley, director of marketing and communications at St. Lawrence College, confirmed that the school is investigating the incident.
“We have several policies that apply to the conduct of our employees,” she told the Whig-Standard. “This includes the fact that we adhere to the Ontario Human Rights Code, we also have harassment policies, a policy around outside activities of college employees, and our collective agreement.”
Related: Law Professor Tries Nailing Ex-Porn Star Student For Violating Penal Code
No word yet on whether Coupland will face any formal disciplinary action for the comments, but it’s pretty clear how folks on social media feel:
I hope @whatsinsideslc will take swift and immediate action to terminate Rick Coupland , a sad and horrendous waste of budget dollars.
— Paul William Tye (@PaulWTye) July 19, 2015
There is no place in this world for #Haters. Hope this idiot #RickCoupland gets toasted. http://t.co/uo4o6eNIqC #homophobia #LGBTI
— Trevor Kleinhans (@secretsmakeusic) July 21, 2015
WTF #Rickcoupland says “its the Queers that should be hung, not the flag” I hope this is tried as a hate crime https://t.co/q4VlZhjCg4 — Juniper (@SuzySuffragette) July 20, 2015
Sorry #rickcoupland for the shame and ridicule you are experiencing, but if you express hate and violence, you ought not to be an educator. — Tom Zoltan B (@TomZoltan) July 21, 2015
I have faith that @gvollebregt will deal with #rickcoupland appropriately and swiftly. Unacceptable. — Jaye Burke (@jayedeebee) July 17, 2015
What do you think? Does Coupland deserve to lose his job over comments made on his personal Facebook page? Sound off in comments.
h/t: Huffington Post
Don Carl Niehus
I pray that this douchebag be fired.
Jerome Robertson
if you dont want to get fired keep your stupid comments to yourself!!!!
Lawrence Poon
I pray that he don’t have to hang himself at the end.
Shirley White
I pray that he hang his self! Then get fired!
Kamal Patel
pray does not help the stupid
Raymond D Owens
so he thinks being gay is like smoking or obestiy, if that was the case why hang a person for being gay,. He has it all wrong and a professor too
Bill Mountrey
I pray he loses his job.
Desert Boy
This professor should pack up his shit and relocate to Iran, or Afghanistan, or Yemen.
Judy Rae Jackson
IF I were a praying person, I would be praying that he gets FIRED.
Stephen Meeks
I will. I’ll pray that he loses his job
Gerald GeeLocke Panuthos
I’d rather pray he get hit by a bus! ð??¡
F. Jay Ver
Hanged ? A teacher thinks people should be hanged for their sexual orientation. How could you trust a person like that to teach young people?
BigG
He should be terminated immediately
Milton Appleby
I pray he gets diarrhea at the most inopportune time. Perhaps at church.
Tony Chaplinski
A Canadian saying that is a surprise and he should be at least repremanded [sic] and made to pray for his forgiveness
Realitycheck
He is a goner do doubt, I just wonder, how in this day and age, we still
have this kind of idiots holding a public office, may that be as educators or politicians, these are the people the should know very well the law and regulations of their office.
Michael Haynes
Pray for his job when he advocated for killing a group of innocent people, I hoe they fire his ass
Jonny B. Mitchell
Wow
Zombie_Killer
Well if you think gays should hanged, my response to you is put the rope around you neck and show us how its done.
You should looses your job and if I am going to pray for anything, I will pray for that.
Bjk
The professor has every right to state his opinion regarding homosexuality, but he does not have the right to endorse or incite violence towards any citizens. After learning of this post, I don’t see how any student could feel comfortable in his classes. This professor has tainted every aspect of his professional duties with this bias. How many students lost points or support because of perceived homosexuality or gay-tolerence.
scotshot
Why are people advocating violence towards this POS, Why wallow in the sty with him.
Fire him.
Ratronaut
UPDATE: July 21 — Coupland is “no longer an employee” at St. Lawrence College, Global News reporter Mark McAllister tweeted Tuesday.
Rodney Taylor
What an ignorant ass….the power of god stuff is getting old
Kathryn Henry
If I was the praying type, I would pray that the school can find someone who is not an idiot to do his job.
Luis H. Lopez
You nazi animal we should hunt you down evil monster you are !!!
Gregory McDaniel
Fired and not be hired by any other school. Can’t think just now where he could get a job, but not in education at all. Phone solicitation?
Danny Ray
He shouldn’t have open his ‘BIGOTED MOUTH’ then–in the first place!!!
Jim Loar
Honestly I’d rather pray for him as for his job he’s better off with out it
Marshall R. Krug
shove your bible up your ass!
Eric Kamm
Dear Professor, I’ll pray that you be fired and never teach again.
canadianflipper
News update – he’s been fired.
http://www.thewhig.com/2015/07/21/prof-embroiled-in-controversy-no-longer-employed-by-college
Richard Tgramps Bower
he should be hung… errrr hanged…. heheh
Dino Diamantakos
1EqualityUSA
I guess God didn’t answer his prayers.
Ladbrook
I wonder if he knows Scott Lively? They’d be great together in Uganda.
SFHandyman
I’d think if he really believed in a god who said ‘Thou shalt not kill” and still wished an innocent class of people to be murdered, he’d hope god didn’t notice.
Patrick Laney
God can’t hear haters…
Michael Woods
I pray he gets hung with barbed wire , well that’s a bit much, how about a nice thick steel cable !
Stache99
Damn. Poor guy. Gonna be tough explaining that one to a potential employer. He just limited himself to working for schools like Liberty University.
Ra Hill
Take away his teaching credentials and black ball him; no more jobs as a teacher!!!
drivendervish
I don’t agree with his personal beliefs but he is entitled to hold them. However, posting them on a public forum shows that he is way too stupid to be a teacher of anybody. He won’t be bothered by public condemnation but his inability to find employment of any kind will destroy the rest of his life.
mikelphx
I pray he loses his job and everything else around him. Tired of these scumbags.
Jerry Kelley
I will pray for his bigoted soul, and then take bets if his soul gets to heaven, cuz the Jesus done say nothin bout gay folks
Jeffrey Kagan McCann
I pray your silly ass get FIRED! How’s that?
Andrew Hwang
He got fired pretty quickly…
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/07/21/ontario-college-investigating-anti-gay-post-allegedly-by-professor.html
Kangol
I find his views repellant, but he has the right to them. It’s another thing, though, if your job has behavioral guidelines and you grossly violate like this creep did, advocating the brutal death of others based on their sexual orientation.
Didn’t Queerty just post an article on how Iranian fanatics had hanged a young man? And now we have a Canadian professor advocating for the same thing.
Guess his fellow citizens now get to subsidize him on Canada’s public dole, since he’s out of a job.
Couldn’t have happened to a worse homophobe!
WR N Russell Dillow
#no room for hate
Stache99
@Andrew Hwang: Yes he sure did.. ““As a result of complaints about comments made on social media that were brought forward to the College this matter was investigated internally. Mr. Coupland is no longer an employee at St. Lawrence College.” the statement read. “.
Gee Rosato
That’s his career if you
look close enough
Stache99
I would love to see some org like Liberty University or some Canadian hate group come to his aid and defend him though.
Paul John Vozzella
Asswhole
Will Glitzern
Someone needs to hang him.
martinbakman
For breaking policy of his employer, I pray that this D.B. be fired.
KC Wilkerson
Oh, Ima pray alright…
Kenneth Myrnes
I’ll pray…. for them to hang his Fu….. you know what!! What a jerk!!!!
Giancarlo85
This isn’t about his right to have certain views. The university has their policies. I’m not sure if this university is public or private, but they have set policies and they apparently wanted an atmosphere of fairness and equity. If he is making the atmosphere hostile and perhaps dangerous for LGBTQQI students, he should be fired immediately.
Noel Hoklin
What God would listen to that crap!
Avery Alvarez
This man just claimed, in plain language, that he’d like to watch “queers” be hanged.
Firing a disturbed, violent individual whose prose reveals such a twisted psyche is the only correct move.
Perhaps the CSIS (Canadian CIA) should keep an eye on him.
Jacob23
The irony is that there are other people who refer to gays as queers and who defend the hanging of gay people in Iran. But instead of losing their university jobs, these people get hired at universities to teach “queer theory.”
Billysees
Here’s the 1st pathetic thing he said —
” It’s the queers they should be hanging, not the flag. ”
Here’s the 2nd pathetic thing he said —
” please pray for me and my job ”
That tells me he is probably a Christian. And that is exactly why many hate Christianity or realize what a mixed-bag it is.
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned…..Matthew 12:37
William Garner II
omg
Captain Obvious
The trash teaching the children. This is why schooling should be revamped.
I’m all for online schools.
Evji108
Hoist him by his own petard and be done with him.
Shaun Adams
lol so how did thos prayers work out for you? did your god aneswer lol nooooo cuz no ones home!! put to the curb like yesterdays trash
Max Schmitt
yeah well, that didn’t work. He was fired.
Paul Matwiow
He hung himself.
Giancarlo85
@Jacob23: Prove it or shut it. Who does that? Who defends Iran and teaches queer theory? Or is that just something else your hateful self made up? I am sure Iran hanged an effeminate gay man or a trans person you would throw a fucking party about it and say they deserved it.
Scott Haltom
Selfish isn’t he?
jason smeds
I wonder if Rick Coupland is a bitter, twisted closet-case.
Faye Ray Goudreau
sadly he hung himself.
Randy
Another example of a “good christian”. He wants to kill those with whom he disagrees, and when others think that’s inappropriate, he needs the help of his magical friend in the sky.
Vincent Turner
I will pray that some hangs HIM.
Jimmy McKinney
He should be fired
Giancarlo85
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/prof-rick-coupland-no-longer-at-st-lawrence-college-after-alleged-homophobic-remark-1.3161900
He’s gone. And what I would say to him “Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out!”.
FIRED.
Giancarlo85
BTW, I looked into the college more. This is a public college (meaning government funded). Meaning its employees are under incredible scrutiny. No way would have he kept his job.
And funny how in the article I posted you have some right wing idiots defending him (talking about the thought police, blah blah blah). Freedom of speech (in any western country) is NOT unlimited. If you say something that incites violence (check Brandenberg v Ohio in the US for example), that is bannable speech. Public employees are bound to tougher standards because they are funded by the taxpayers.
Brandenberg v. Ohio is a US Supreme Court case that led to the Brandenberg test. If speech fails the test it is considered advocacy of “imminent lawless action”. This professor was advocating violence. I am not sure exactly if Canada has a similar case, but the college had every right to fire his ass!
Stache99
@jason smeds: Guys that have that much hate for gay men are gay themselves. It’s a self hatred.
Realitycheck
@Giancarlo85: Yea!!! Just read and so happy.
That kind of person has no business working in a school teaching.