Geneva High School student Jordan Hunter (center) sits with friend, Lexie Tomchek (left), and Tomcheck's mom, Cara Tomcheck, at Tuesday's Geneva District 304 School Board meeting.
Posted on 10/14/2009 3:12:59 AM PDT by markomalley
GENEVA – Geneva School Board members voted Tuesday night to issue a warning against a Geneva High School teacher, who a student claimed made a homosexual slur in his classroom last week.
The notice against teacher David Burk states that any further improprieties could result in dismissal.
Geneva High School senior Jordan Hunter, who is gay and said he was personally offended by the remark, did not think the board's action went far enough. He believed Burk should have been fired.
"I'm just disappointed," Hunter said. "I'm shocked, really. This is not an acceptable end result."
According to Hunter, Burk said during a classroom lecture on Oct. 5, "How do you feel about your tax dollars being spent to fund black [homosexual slur] taking pictures of other black [homosexual slur] in New York?"
"It was in extremely poor judgment," said Hunter, who attended the board meeting. "Not only is it a homophobic remark, it is also a racist remark."
Hunter said Burk made the comment while talking about how tax monies are used for the National Endowment for the Arts.
School board Vice President Tim Moran said the warning notice sets the stage for harsher action if such behavior takes place again.
"The reality is that there are legal steps that have to be taken," Moran said. "The step we took we believe to be the harshest we can as it stands now."
Burk did not attend Tuesday's meeting. But his attorney, D.J. Tegeler, said that Burk regrets making any comment that would offend a student and would personally apologize to Hunter if given the opportunity. Tegeler said he didn't know what exact remark was made.
"His intention was to teach," Tegeler said. "It was not to degrade anyone. He will work in the future to make sure it never happens again."
He apologized to students in each of his consumer education classes Tuesday for the remark he made last week.
"These words were inappropriate, and I am truly sorry for my actions," the apology stated. "The message I conveyed was insensitive and hurtful. That is not what I had intended."
Burk also said in the apology that he promises to learn from the experience and he plans to be more aware of how his words may impact others.
Supporting Hunter at the meeting was fellow senior Lexie Tomchek, a friend of Hunter's. She also said Burk should be fired.
"He has exhibited characteristics a teacher should not have," she said. "His judgment was so horrific, I don't know why he should keep his job."
Geneva High School student Jordan Hunter (center) sits with friend, Lexie Tomchek (left), and Tomcheck's mom, Cara Tomcheck, at Tuesday's Geneva District 304 School Board meeting.
I’m assuming these 3 are okay with the government paying for the pictures??
What about these “black f*gs taking pictures of black f*gs.” It must have been something pretty outrageous. Like nude sex scenes. It could have been put a bit more politely, but it sounds like it deserves ridicule.
Can’t say black anything nowadays. Proof they want thought police and speech police ONLY if it is against the right. Let me guess...he said FAG...oh the horror. Its better than the vulgarity spewed out by “fags” in churches in California. The homosexual worshiping left wanst “Fag” on par with the N word and the F word and more...they know its power.
Oh they’re such wholesome downtrodden minorities aren’t they? /sarcasm
This is my back yard. Kane has some pretty good red necks.
Like blacks casually calling each other n*ggers, homosexuals dish at each other calling each other f*gs. But pity the poor fool who dares to talk about it.
What a bunch of judgemental twits! When will these idiots realize these were words, just words and while they may offend they are certainly not worth ruining someone’s personal and professional life over them. These self centered brats never stop to think that maybe the world doesn’t revolve around them and their perceived slights. I would just love to wipe that smirk off the mother’s face!
The left-wing are in reality making an assualt on everyone’s rights with this type of fascist behavior. I absolutely believe that homosexuality is a corruption of natural human sexuality. Of course the left-wing want this type of thinking banned from public expression but I still speak my mind. I jut had a debate about it at work yesterday here in liberal New Jersey, so far no trouble.
One of things I do not understand is how they are going to deal with things like bathrooms. If we seperate men and woman based upon heterosexuality then how can they deny anyone there right to the same equal protection in regards to open homosexuals? How is it that the state can support giving protection to people based upon heterosexual attractionand desires but then deny others the same protection in regards to homosexuality. If someone is an open homosexual at my work then can I demand that they keep them out of the men’s room or face a lawsuit?
Apparently not enough to prevent this teacher from having to crawl all over himself “apologizing”....yeah I know it was coerced.
Well. At least he looks the part.
Not his mom, the mom of a “friend.” Poor little nerd, he is always going to be unhappy and be blaming it on the people who “hate gays.”
Film Actors Guild, right?
Conspicuously absent are Jordan’s parents!! Jordan needs to develop a thicker skin. He’s in for a rude awakening in the real world.
Maybe having not having a draft is a good thing. Some are not cut out for the heavy lifting....
Are you kidding, he’ll whine himself in wherever he goes. The shock troops that have gone before have seen to that.
I agree with that. They seem to care only for their rights and freedoms and nobody elses. The left has given them 'sacred' status and they are making this country into a PC hellhole. I've always been one to mind my own business, and try to live and let live, but these people are really making it hard for me not to hate them.
Even in my day, a very long time ago, teachers didn’t bring language like this into the classroom, not out of PC, but a general respect for decorum (they didn’t even allow the term “butt” in the newspaper, hence wtiting like “he patted him on his donkey.”) But “I’m offended, you need to be fired,” is a bizarre way to settle scores, maybe even “cruel and unusual punishment.”
Unjust discrimination must be avoided. Jordan, and others in his condition, are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter.
Basically they are called to chastity.
No sane person can be comfortable with people that statistically carry high risks of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, AIDS, depraved and unnatural acts, and, as a group, a statistically significant shorter lifespan. How can anyone with common sense pretend that this is normal and acceptable? The teacher has already experienced more than enough punishment, IMO.
Poofer gets the vapors... tears @ 11.
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