Jerry Buell, Teacher of the Year at
Mount Dora High School in South Florida, has been suspended for
Facebook comments he made against passage of a gay marriage law in
New York.
Buell, a social studies teacher, wrote
on his Facebook profile that he “almost threw up” when he learned
about the law's approval, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
In the July 25 post, Buell called such
unions a sin and added that gay marriages were part of a “cesspool.”
The Lake County School Board has
suspended Buell from the classroom pending an internal investigation.
“It wasn't out of hatred,” Buell
told the paper. “It was about the way I interpret things.”
“I've had kids that I've known that
have been homosexuals,” he added. “They know that I don't hate
them. I love them.”
Schoolteachers in districts across
Florida have been warned not to consider social networks private.
“Social media is a minefield,” said
Chris Patton, communications officer for Lake County Schools.
“People think they're free to say what they want to, but in some
aspects it can come back to haunt you.”
A Facebook
page in support of Buell has attracted 226 friends as of
Thursday.