Viki Knox, Union Township New Jersey Teacher, Investigated For Alleged Anti-Gay Facebook Posts

A New Jersey teacher is under investigation for anti-gay remarks she allegedly posted on her Facebook that criticize a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history month display at her school.

Viki Knox, a 49-year-old special education teacher at Union High School and adviser to the school's student prayer group, reportedly posted on Facebook that homosexuality is "a perverted spirit that has existed from the beginning of creation," and a "sin" that "breeds like cancer," the Star-Ledger reports.

"Union is not South Orange/Maplewood where one out of four families consist of two Mommies or daddies… Why parade your unnatural immoral behaviors before the rest of us?" Knox wrote. "I/we do not have to accept anything, anyone, any behavior or any choices! I do not have to tolerate anything others wish to do."

The Facebook thread has since been removed from the site, but New Jersey LGBT rights group Garden State Equality has obtained a PDF copy of the Facebook exchange, as well as an image of the school display, from John paragon, a lawyer and former Union Township councilman and municipal judge, according to a statement GSE issued Thursday on its Facebook page.

Paragano came across Knox's comments on Facebook over the weekend and wrote to Union Township Schools Superintendent Patrick Martin, requesting action.

"Hateful public comments from a teacher cannot be tolerated," Paragano wrote, according to the Star-Ledger. "She has a right to say it. But she does not have a right to keep her job after saying it."

Knox was escorted from school property, but Martin declined to confirm whether the teacher was suspended, 1010 WINS reports. Knox also had no defending comments.

New Jersey's newly implemented anti-bullying law protects free speech where it does not interfere with educating students, GSE Chair Steven Goldstein notes in a statement, adding that this incident isn't a question of legality.

"But this situation also calls for the school to look at the big picture as to the appropriateness of having Ms. Knox –- if she did write these posts –- teach our youth," Goldstein said. "The posts even say, ‘…That’s what I teach and preach.’ It is one thing to hold anti-gay views –- that’s protected in America –- but it would be another thing to vow to teach them in the classroom in a public school."

Expressing personal opinions on Facebook has proved a delicate issue among teachers, students, parents and school administrators. In August, Florida high school "Teacher of the Year" Jerry Buell was suspended for an anti-gay post he wrote on his Facebook page denouncing New York's decision to allow same-sex marriage. He was reinstated shortly following school investigations.

Comments

[MarkNS]

06:31 AM on 10/31/2011

Ahh...christians. Ready to enforce bronze age morality in 2011.

[Robert Buchberger]

11:42 AM on 10/28/2011

I want to know if that teacher saying things like that about the LGBT students is OK in her eyes or anyone else's eyes then is it OK for the LGBT students or any other student to call her the "N" word? Or call her a filthy, disgusting, barbarian "N" word? In my eyes it is the same thing and I do not agree with either being any part of free speech. If calling any part of our society degrading and disgusting racist or bigoted names falls under free speech then how on earth can you call America a christian nation? Christ has nothing to do with that low level of judgement and hate.
Being Gay or Lesbian or Bisexual or Transgender is how a person is born, just like being Black or White or having green eyes or blond hair, it is how God made you and there is no CHOICE in those matters.
She should be fired and never permitted close to a child ever again. She is dangerous as she has the ability to influence how a child thinks and what type of adult that child becomes.
She has the right to be a hateful, disgusting person but she has no right to push her views on children no matter where that influence emerges. If my kids were in that school I would pull them out until she is removed. In the words of Michele Bachman's husband, "She is a Barbarian and needs to be educated".

[LetsTeachActualSubjects]

12:41 PM on 11/10/2011

"she has no right to push her views on children," but apparently whoever passed "Gay-Lesbi­an-Transge­nder Whatever" praise public displays in a public school has the right to push their views on my children? And use my tax dollars to do it?

[john3540]

07:04 PM on 11/21/2011

I know this is late but I wanted to thank you for leaving an intelligent comment on this issue.

[pbrunda]

02:48 AM on 10/19/2011

Although she has the right to express her feelings, her role as an educator is compromised by publically displaying them. How are the gay kids she teaches supposed to respect her when she publically states that she has no respect for them? It is not her role to place judgement upon them. The issue is not one of "moraltiy" nor of the right to free speach. It is of her ability to be an effective educator for ALL of the students. Gay kids should not be expected to feel prejudiced against by a "teacher' before they even get in her class any more than Black, Jewish, Italian, Latino or any other children should.

[kwwww]

10:25 PM on 10/18/2011

I'm bisexual, an atheist and a libertarian. As a libertarian I think she has a right to have and express any beliefs (religious or otherwise) that she likes. I have strong feelings against religion and strong feelings in favor of LGBT rights. My right to express my beliefs depends on her right to express hers. We all have the same rights, that is how liberty works. I'm assuming that religious people would hate having my politics forced on them for the same reasons I hate things like school prayer and would hate having their politics forced on me.
Employers should not have a right to snoop on or judge the opinions and behavior of their employees outside of work whether that means pressuring people to quit smoking or snooping on Facebook. An employee's private life is none of their business. If a Facebook page is set to public it can be read by anyone but that doesn't mean anyone is in a position to threaten, fire or judge that person. The case where a teacher was fired for mocking his special education students online was different because he was humiliating specific people he was supposed to be serving (he even wore one kid's seizure helmet ) and the video suggests he can not do his job for the kids he seems to despise.
Note to all the religious people reading this: I respect your rights, you should probably respect mine.

[kwwww]

11:36 PM on 10/18/2011

If you think it is ok for people to gang up and get this woman fired in some kind of witch hunt then you must also think the case where an atheist was fired from a Catholic school for Facebook comments is OK too:
"— A math teacher fired from a Fort Dodge Catholic school because she joined an atheist website and noted on Facebook that she didn't believe in God said Friday she never imagined it would lead to her losing her job.
Abby Nurre, 26, was fired last December from St. Edmonds Catholic School. She was hired in August. Nurre said she was called into the principal's office just before winter break and asked about Atheist Nexus, a social network that bills itself as site for "nontheists.""

It might be legal (though there could be possible discrimination cases or union arbitration) but that doesn't make it right. I think religion is crap but I've worked with religious people and my beliefs haven't caused me to treat any of them unfairly in the workplace. Work is work and private life is private. Is this really the kind of society we want to live in where people are harassed for "thought crimes" whether the rationale is liberal or conservative? There are plenty of places like that in the world but few where open debate is acceptable. Everyone commenting on this thread is expressing an opinion on the internet with assumption of freedom. Maybe we shouldn't take that for granted.

[Sunohmy]

01:15 AM on 10/19/2011

"Thought crimes" - 1984 ---> good and appropriate reference. This is a difficult debate to talk on. I don't think the teacher would be receiving so much heat if she had voiced her opinions in a kinder, less harsh manner. But then again, what's the point of softening her thoughts, it is her BELIEFS, and as a human/American, she has the right to say them.

And the article does a good job in skewing her overall message. If you read the teachers entire comment, you can see that she does love and treat gays like normal humans. She has gay/lesbian friends and whatnot, and she is an adamant christian, so she does not wish harm on any of them. It's just that she doesn't believe homosexuality is right, and she believes its a moral sin, against Christianity and her morals. There are millions of people who believe the same as this teacher. If you go to my grandparents and relatives in Nigeria, then the sentiment is the same but even stronger.

I don't think people should force their beliefs on other people. I think the teacher should have been wise and more receptive with writing down what she meant. I also think that people should reserve judgement until they get the whole picture and not yell to fire her immediately. Doing so is temporarily fixing the problem, but the problem and beliefs of this teacher exists in students in Union High School, NewJersey, America, and the entire WORLD.

[katkev2003]

09:08 AM on 10/18/2011

I don't want my children to have gay rights shoved down there throats any more than I want religion shoved down there throats. Shame on that school for displaying that. I would have pitched a fit being a parent at that school. As far as that teachers comments, the last time I checked we have free speech in this country. If you want her fired for her comments go to another country to live.

[zomalley]

11:09 PM on 10/18/2011

At one time in this country, women were second class citizens. It was thought that was ok then. In fact, men thougth the same as you're feeling and didn't want them to wear banners or use any means to get rights. Many women felt as you--that they should take that place too.

I hope one day they will prove that my being gay is not a choice as you might imagine. Because then, you will realize we have no control over our biology any more than you have because you are a woman.

Because it's only then, will you realize that our fight for equality and respect is no different than your rights as a woman. Rights you now take for granted because all the women before you fought for your rights today. All we want is respect.

Yet, I understand you see everything so black and white. And greys don't exist. I hope that you don't wake up one morning and your son or daughters tells you he or she is gay. Because you'll wonder what pain you may have caused them. And if by then they can prove being gay is not a choice, you'll have to take responsibility to your children. But I don't wish that on anyone--because it is painful.

[kwwww]

11:54 PM on 10/18/2011

Do you take weekends for granted? Do you take getting paid overtime for granted? We only have these thing because people in the early labor movement fought (and sometimes died) for the rights of working people and laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act. Before the labor movement workers were treated like property. They lived in company towns. What about indentured servants? Feudalism? We take our private time for granted but the idea that workers have private time and private lives is historically recent.
With workers being paid less and less, employers controlling personal choices like smoking and weight, employers spying on employees on Facebook and the decline of labor unions we are on a slippery slope towards returning to the wage slavery of the Industrial Revolution. What do employers own? Do they own and control eight hours out of our days or do they own and control us? Do you want to be owned by your employer or forced out of town because the locals don't like what you think or your boss is spying on you?

[TBJ]

04:08 PM on 10/19/2011

Free speech doesn't mean consequence-free speech. Just means the govt. can't restrict your speech.

What are these "gay rights" you speak of? If you mean the rights that straight people have and enjoy freely, that gay people are denied and fighting for, then how can those 'gay rights' be shoved down any sort of esophageal tube?

[Iconicologist]

11:35 PM on 10/17/2011

Actually, intolerance is "a perverted spirit that has existed since the beginning of creation," just ask Abel.

[Jose Soberanes]

10:38 PM on 10/17/2011

Just like HP tracks my comments and only published what Obama thinks is correct!!! This wont make it, only if they think its worth responding from you all!!

[Jose Soberanes]

10:31 PM on 10/17/2011

Do you see how the left works....if you don't agree with them they will personally destroy you. They can't accept the fact that people like me think this type of behavior is utterly disgusting and not normal. Just because you dont agree with me doesnt give me the right to go out and destroy your life!!!

[pbrunda]

03:26 AM on 10/19/2011

You need to teach your prejudice in your home. Children should not have to be confronted with it on a daily basis by an educator. By publically stating her lack of respect for a specific group, be it gay, Black, Latino, Christian, etc., her effectiveness in her position is compromised. No child should feel prejudiced against in an environment of trust, which teaching requires. Job effectiveness is the issue, not left or right. I gather you are of Latino background and doubt you would feel comfortable having your child in a classroom every day with a teacher who expressed disrespect for, lack of acceptance of or prejudice against Latinos without even meeting him/her. Facebook is a public forum, thus she was making aa public statement.

[TBJ]

04:09 PM on 10/19/2011

Seek therapy.

[Andrew Harvey]

09:09 PM on 10/17/2011

Great, the thought police have arrived. Infringement of first amendment rights anyone?

[Suhaagan Khalsa]

10:06 PM on 10/17/2011

Read the First Amendment and then read the story again...no infringement has happened. The First Amendment prevents the government from making it illegal for her to say what she (apparently) said. It doesn't prevent an employer from taking action against her for saying what she said...

[aviandonn]

04:18 PM on 10/19/2011

How many times are people like you going to keep misusing this 'first amendment rights' argument? Educate yourself for goodness sakes. You don't even have to put much effort into it. Any thread like this will have plenty of people far more informed than you explaining who is restrained by the first amendment and when the first amendment doesn't apply.

We are clearly faced in this country, with a huge segment of the population that is incapable of being educated.

[fozzi58]

01:30 PM on 10/17/2011

Her 1st amendment rights should not be violated.

That being said, this teacher is an idiot if she uses her personal Facebook page for parents and students and then posts this garbage. You are in education and the children, their parents, and even administration you work with, will eventually see what you are posting.

My wife is in education and no students or parents are "friends". Even parents who were/are real life friends are Un-friended while they have children that she teaches.

[Jose Soberanes]

10:33 PM on 10/17/2011

Your the idiot....anyone can post whatever they want or write whatever they want...period!!!

[fozzi58]

11:05 AM on 10/19/2011

I agree with you. But you have to be an idiot to not think there will be repercussions.

[Erin84]

01:46 AM on 10/17/2011

Once again for the know-it-alls who have no idea what they're talking about: She is a public employee who made public statements­. (FB posts are public speech.) She was not fined or arrested by the police or allowed to be sued in court for what she said. Therefore her freedom of speech was honored. The first amendment applies to levels of government's authority over its citizens, not places or institutio­ns of employment­. For example, you can't tell your boss you won't do what he says because he's a no good SOB, then sue claiming free speech when you get fired. Similarly, a public employee with children in her care, especially under NJ's laws, cannot make public hate speech about a minority group, especially when there are surely LGBT students in her school and possibly under her supervisio­n. She at least deserves unpaid suspension­.

[burstlp1958]

01:20 PM on 10/17/2011

exactly--Freedom not Free Speech ;)

[Jose Soberanes]

10:35 PM on 10/17/2011

you guys are totally wrong...if you want to live in a society that tracks and controlls what you write, you are in the wrong country!!! Oh my bad...O is in the white house and thats what he wants!!

[Lilacblue]

12:10 AM on 10/27/2011

Of course I want to live in a SOCIETY that tracks and controls what people write--or by extension--say. I don't want to live under a GOVERNMENT that tracks and controls what people write or say. There is a difference. I WANT society to hold people accountable. Society is all the people around us watching the behavior of its members--ie. tracking behavior. How society "tracks and controls" is to make note of undesirable behavior and mete out repercussions. Not governmental repercussions like jail or fines, but societal repercussions. Society sees a business owner that discriminates against minorities or a parent that is verball abusive and takes action by not giving that person their custom or calling social services. If you choose to express personal views or act in ways that offend someone, they can choose to not hire you, fire you, shun you, sue you, evict you, suspend you, de-friend you, etc. These types of actions are society's way of controlling the behavior of people who are not behaving according to acceptable norms. And we all do this virtually everyday whether it be by flashing a chastising look to a person swearing in front of children, responding to an inflammatory editorial with a rebuttal, choosing to campaign against a certain politician, or not inviting a rascist relative to a dinner party. In small and big ways, we are all checking undesirable behavior and therefore controlling behavior. This is how we stay civilized and live together.

[Eroshan]

10:17 PM on 10/16/2011

her remarks are horrible, but her mixed metaphors are even worse

[J OConnor]

05:51 PM on 10/16/2011

I was surprised at how many folks are defending this teachers irresponsible/hateful comments. I too am a teacher and I am curious if the same folks who agree with this teacher's freedom of speech would be okay with me saying a few hurtful things directed at their children or their family? It's clearly okay for teachers to hate gays but who else are we allowed to call unnatural and still garner your support? Can we say that about special ed kids? Disabled kids? Left handed kids? How about adopted children? How about in vitro kids? Pale pasty white kids? How about ugly or uncoordinated kids? Kids with lame haircuts and preppy clothes? Fat kids? Skinny kids?

Should teachers be able to speak hatefully of everyone who is different from us since clearly everything we say is protected by our Freedom of Speech?

How about we ask public school teachers to realize that they will have to be responsible caretakers and educators for all children who come to their classroom from the "public" sector? Does it sound more rational that we should act respectfully towards all members of our school community or should we allow the free flow of hate and have everyone fend for themselves?

[Smartass8504]

12:17 PM on 10/18/2011

Oh I dunno. The same way you have sex with someone where they bleed and pee? Could you be any more ridiculous?

[robertshaw]

05:47 PM on 10/16/2011

Have we all forgotten about the first amendment? Who ever said the teacher tried to teach her students those views? She has a right to feel that way and it's just funny the hypocrisy of saying you want tolerance toward one thing, in this case homosexuality, and at the same time be so intolerant to another person's views.

[Trekkiefandom]

10:41 PM on 10/16/2011

No one is saying she had to keep in to herself. However, a public facebook account that students and parents can link to isn't keeping as it should be, private. She could have said it at church, to her family, basically an place that would agree with her views.

[Erin84]

01:35 AM on 10/17/2011

No, hateful, ignorant garbage does not have to be tolerated. Get real. There is no first amendment protection to keep your job. Go back to high school and take Civics class again. She violated more than one school policy. She is a public employee and facebook posts are public.

[Jose Soberanes]

10:37 PM on 10/17/2011

She has the freedom to write WHATEVER she wants this is America not Cuba!!

[robertshaw]

12:45 PM on 10/18/2011

You're saying that ignorant speech does not have to be tolerated? Ignorant according to whom? This is her opinion and it's not up to people like you to decide if it's ignorant garbage. I would like you to tell me specifically what school policy she violated. Are you familiar with this school district's policies?

[Kayishat]

05:13 PM on 10/16/2011

Why should this lady be fired for posting her opinions on her personal page? She didn't publicize it openly in school.

[J OConnor]

05:52 PM on 10/16/2011

She quite literally publicized her opinion and I would guess that her resentment towards gay/lesbian kids or gay/lesbian parents are not well hidden if her feelings are so strong. Would you want your gay son in her class?

[Kayishat]

11:41 PM on 10/16/2011

As long as she keeps her semantics out of the classroom and my child grades aren't being affected then it wouldn't bother me.

[Trekkiefandom]

10:42 PM on 10/16/2011

She basically did. Anyone can find her facebook page by simply going to their find friends. Her facebook is public and student, parents are known to go there.