NO BIG DEAL: Students Rally Around Suspended "Gay Porn" Teacher

[WillParkinson]

NO BIG DEAL: Students Rally Around Suspended "Gay Porn" Teacher

The above tweet is a sample of student sentiment regarding the outing and suspension of a Boston-area English teacher after he was ambushed by Fox News for having performed in gay porn videos. Mediabistro reports:

Students at a top-rated Massachusetts public high school are blasting WFXT and investigative reporter Mike Beaudet for confronting a teacher about his apparent porn star past. Since the story first aired, Beaudet and WFXT have been heavily criticized by students at the school, who have banded together in support of Hogan. On Twitter, Beaudet asked Mystic Valley students for their response to his story. Another student tweeted at Beaudet: “Hogan is the best thing that has happened to my crew team. Students now have more respect for him due to what you did #thanks” “It’s not like he was doing anything illegal,” one student tweeted, “he shouldn’t get fired.” “Reporters are so fucking annoying,” tweeted another student.

The kids are alright.

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-big-deal-students-rally-around.html

(On edit: Fixed the link.)

[Sabriel]

1. Listen to children!

On LGBTQ issues, adults are definitely behind the curve on acceptance.

[xchrom]

2. Awesome. Nt

[Ian David]

3. You should cross-post this in the Massachusetts forum. n/t

[Ian David]

4. Of course, now that Fox "News" did this expose, half the kids have probably googled this stuff...

... "Oh, THAT is what gay bondage porn looks like! Thank you, Fox News!"

[MADem]

5. Here's a couple of links to local coverage

Many people are pissed off at the Fox Affiliate's ambush tactics.


A Fox affiliate's "ambush interview" with popular Massachusetts teacher
Kevin Hogan about his past as an actor in adult films has created a wave
of anger by supportive students and parents. (Still photo taken from
footage syndicated by Fox-25 Boston)

http://www.masslive.com/talk/index.ssf/2011/12/fox_affiliates_report_on_popul.html

The Herald (surprise, surprise) has come down against the teacher before the investigation is even completed. They express some faux sympathy at the end of this piece but they still say he should be fired for what they acknowledge is a LEGAL activity. I can't help but notice that they threw in a Scott Brown caveat (getting naked to pay for law school is just dandy!) right up front, though--and then have the balls (pardon the expression) to talk about HYPOCRISY!
http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/2011_1201naked_truth_porn_teachers_dont_mix

...If Hogan, apparently a terrific teacher, made these movies 10 or 20 years ago — perhaps to finance his education — he could probably get through this mess.

If he made them last year but had a different occupation — say a stockbroker or even a college professor — I’d give him a pass.

But his students are teenagers. Teachers are supposed to be moral exemplars. They’ve been fired for such minor infractions as appearing online, on vacation, with cocktails in hand. “This is a big lapse of judgment. You have to put aside any hopes and dreams of being a porn star when you want to teach kids,” said Sue O’Connell, co-publisher of Bay Windows, New England’s biggest newspaper for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.

And what will Hogan’s teenage students do now? They’ll Google “Just Gone Gay 8” and see their teacher, according to Fox News, totally naked surrounded by men in various states of undress and arousal.

English class can never be the same.

There’s something creepy about this story. I was stunned by the number of commenters on the Fox website who defended Hogan (he’s done nothing illegal, they say) and trashed Fox reporter Mike Beaudet for “ruining” Hogan’s life....



The Globe's reporting is much more restrained focusing on facts and the teacher's resume: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2011/12/01/malden-mayor-and-mayor-elect-back-charter-school-putting-leave-teacher-who-reportedly-was-pornographic-movies/Oizl4K8kExoAaYA6QU5feP/story.html

...In a statement to parents, Mystic Valley said that Hogan did not report his past work as an adult actor and that no complaints were registered by either parents or students. The school said it performed all the regular background checks, in California where he used to live, and in Massachusetts....In Massachusetts, regulations require applicants to possess “evidence of sound moral character,’’ according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Hogan was first licensed to teach in Massachusetts in 1998, when he was awarded a provisional license to teach grades 5 through 12, according to a copy of his teaching license application provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

A resume he submitted in July 1997 for the license application says he graduated in 1988 from Northeastern University, where he earned an English degree, and in 1990 from Boston College, where he earned his master’s degree, also in English.

From 1989 to 1997, he held five classroom jobs, including a two-year stint at St. Clement High School in Medford, where he was an English and writing instructor, and a yearlong job as an assistant professor at the University of Charleston in West Virginia, according to his resume. He also taught at The Gunnery, a preparatory school in Washington, Conn., the resume said.

Time will tell. Charter Schools can go either way, depending on the charter and who is managing the school--if I had to guess, though, I'd bet they'll try to get him to quit if they can't fire him for not reporting his work on his resume--if it was within a prescribed timeframe for reporting. He didn't break any laws making the movies, by all accounts.

[joeybee12]

6. I'd like to know what this reporter was doing looking at gay porn so he

discovered the teacher there.

[MNBrewer]

7. Teachers are supposed to be moral exemplars???

1. No, teachers are supposed to TEACH.
2. There's nothing immoral about his having a porn past.

[Ian David]

8. TAKE ACTION

“Support Kevin Hogan, FIRE Mike Beaudet” https://www.facebook.com/firemikebeaudet

Fire Mike Beaudet petition http://www.change.org/petitions/fire-mike-beaudet

See also:

Not Yet Fired Fox Reporter Who Outed Teacher's Porn Past Defends Actions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=158x16863

[TheWraith]

9. Can't help but think this almost sounds like the premise for a porn film "plot."

Hot student discovers hot teacher is secretly a porn star.

[William769]

10. Recommended.

[NMMNG]

11. This is one messed up world

Engage in consensual adult activities like porn or prostitution to support yourself and you become a pariah. Pimp your children out for fame and $$$ and you become a media darling and RRRW hero.