Former Student: Facebook Oversharing Teacher Made Classroom Unwelcoming

[William769]

A former student of the Facebook oversharing teacher in Florida, Jerry Buell, describes a classroom filled with Christian paraphernalia and a tense moment when repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" was raised during class discussion.

Bryan Blaise tells The New Civil Rights Movement blog that during 11th grade at Mount Dora High School, Buell was asked by a student what he thought about gays in the military.

"I tensed, knowing full well the point of view to follow in Mr. Buell’s response," Blaise said in the interview. "I looked up when he said he supported gays in the military, stunned by the answer. He immediately followed that comment with the statement that we should then put them on the front lines, and pull back. Disgusted at the thought of violence and murder of humans being vocally supported, I shut my book and walked out of class, the only time I would ever do this during my educational career."

Blaise said he never reported the incident and that he never complained about continued antigay bullying he experienced while in school, because attitudes there seemed clear and complaining "futile."

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/08/31/Former_Student_Facebook_Oversharing_Teacher_Made_Classroom_Unwelcoming/

[RetiredTrotskyite]

1. Everything I Have Heard About This "Man"...

convinces me that he should be allowed nowhere vulnerable children. He is just disgustng. Especially his remark about the murder of GLBT troops. What a piece of human shit.

[William769]

2. The more that comes out about this man

It makes me wonder how he has gotten away with it for so long

[Pacifist Patriot]

3. Agreed

[racaulk]

5. I totally agree.

It also makes me wonder what else he has gotten away with that we don't know about yet.

[Jamastiene]

6. Usually, when teachers are like that,

and get away with it for so long, it is because their bosses are complicit. I know it is that way where I live. If you complain about homophobic teachers where I live, they send you to the county mental health center... where psychologists are standing by to tell you to "get right with God,"* put you on medication that will zombify you and consequently shut you up, and tell your parents you are a very disturbed person. Source: my own experience in my hometown. We had teachers just like that guy here. The higher ups, including the school board here, were complicit. They thought the same way.

*direct quote from an intake interview at my local county mental health department

[MADem]

4. ...gay rights activists have expressed worry that Buell has created an unwelcoming atmosphere

for gay students....

I'd say his atmosphere is unwelcoming for ALL students...all that religious bullshit on top of all that intolerance?

I suspect that red-face of his in his picture at the link isn't a result of the FL sun so much as high blood pressure. Maybe he'll go the way of the military personnel he wants to put "on the front lines."

It's very tough to 'fix' prejudiced assholes. This guy won't get gone until parents complain loudly and often. Then again, it's Florida, which isn't known for its school systems on a good day.