A Denver-area teacher, Jennifer Honka, is dismissed following a district investigation and an independent review into classroom skits in which students were asked to kiss classmates. Multiple outlets report that the case involves graded French class skits. According to the reports, the teacher’s script choices included moments where students were expected to kiss each other, and the review concluded that these elements placed students—particularly female students—in a position where they felt pressured to comply.
Washington Times reports that Denver Public Schools conducted an investigation and then commissioned an independent review. It states that the findings were presented to the school board, which voted unanimously on May 20 to dismiss Honka. Fox News also reports she was fired after students alleged that they were pressured to kiss classmates during the skits.
The coverage differs mainly in emphasis, including references to whether the alleged kissing involved same-sex pairs, but all accounts describe the teacher’s dismissal as resulting from findings that her skit scripts led students to feel pressured. The reports do not describe criminal charges in the materials provided.
