Teacher compared teaching style to Jesus’ before anti-gay rant
In the latest development in his story, Jerry Buell, who was reinstated this week at his Florida high school after he made inflammatory posts on Facebook, said he tried to teach “like Jesus”.
Mr Buell was reinstated in his position after the school board ruled he did not violate their code of conduct.
It emerged that he had written in his syllabus: “I am a man of God and I try to be like Jesus every day. I teach God’s truth, I make very few compromises. If you believe you may have a problem with that, get your schedule changed, ’cause I ain’t changing!”
And on his website, he wrote: “I try to teach and lead my students as if Lake Co. Schools had hired Jesus Christ himself.”
Buell was sent home from Mount Dora High School for posting on Facebook: “I’m watching the news, eating dinner, when the story about New York okaying same sex unions came on and I almost threw up.
“If they want to call it a union, go ahead. But don’t insult a man and woman’s marriage by throwing it in the same cesspool as same-sex whatever! God will not be mocked. When did this sin become acceptable???”
Speaking to the Orlando Sentinel after his suspension, he insisted: “It wasn’t out of hatred. It was about the way I interpret things.”
He added: “I’ve had kids that I’ve known that have been homosexuals.They know that I don’t hate them. I love them.”
Of the religious aspects of Mr Buell’s syllabus, his lawyer told Orlando’s WFTV network: “The school district is saying that might run a foul to what they call the separation of church and state. We are going to have to evaluate the school’s position and engage them in some dialogue.”
