A teacher suspended for making anti-gay posts on Facebook is back in the classroom.
Jerry Buell, Mt. Dora High School's Teacher of the Year, was suspended from his classroom position after making a number of anti-gay posts on Facebook, saying he “almost threw up” after hearing about the decision to legalize same sex marriage in New York.
Buell was working in an administrative position while the district's human resources department investigated the complaints against him. That investigation wrapped up the afternoon of Aug. 24, according to Lake County Schools communications officer Chris Patton.
“As a result, Mr. Buell received a written directive from the superintendent,” he said. “By law, the written directive is not public record until ten days after completion of the investigation.”
Buell was back in the classroom the morning of Aug. 25. Information about whether he was on probation or under observation is off the record as part of the rules guarding the directives, but Patton said, “As always, the school distrtict will continue to monitor the classroom environment to ensure the safety of students throughout the district.”
Buell spoke to the media after his meeting with the superintendent reinstating him in the classroom, saying: “If I did not stand up for my rights after telling my students to stand up for their rights then I would be a hypocrite. It’s been a lesson. It’s been a heck of a lesson.”
Earlier this month, Watermark received an email that copied Buell's posts. On July 25, the teacher called gay marriage a “cesspool” and “an insult to the marriage between my wife and I [sic].” Buell then continued to defend his anti-gay statements through religious justifications, saying they are “based on Biblical principals [sic] and God’s law.”
The email was sent by Brett Winters, 27, a former Mt. Dora High School student.
“The fact that the comments on his page receive more than 30 “likes' is even more disturbing because it makes you wonder is this the behavior that Lake County approves of, especially since he was elected teacher of the year,” Winters said.
Buell has not returned calls from Watermark requesting an interview, but he told the Orlando Sentinel that he's “had kids that I've known who have been homosexuals. They know that I don't hate them. I love them.”
The investigation contains Winters' original complaints plus Buell's yearbook description, school web page and several course outlines. In each document, Buell discusses his religion, frequently mentioning that he is a “man of God.” The investigation also includes an email exchange regarding a speech Buell was asked to give as Teacher of the Year at an academic honors assembly. According to the emails, Buell was specifically asked not to mention religion in his speech but then proceeded to frequently reference the Bible.
Patton said the documents were included in the investigation to “paint the whole picture.”
He said they're continuing to get heavy feedback, including comments from people who have not yet heard Buell is back in class. Patton said the district has received close to 3,000 emails from around the nation on the incident, and they're a “mixed bag,” with no clear majority opinion regarding Buell's actions, suspension or reinstatement.
There are currently no GSA or any other LGBT-targeted youth groups at Mt. Dora High School, and the only support available for gay students is the counseling available to all students. However, the district developed social media guidelines this winter for teachers and staff, warning teachers against posting publicly online if they feel angry or passionate about a topic.
