Chicago-Area Teacher Receives "Warning" for "Black Fag" Rant

There is an update to the story of the Chicago-area high school teacher who ranted against "black fags" during a lesson on funding the National Endowment for the Arts. The Geneva School Board has decided to issue a "warning" letter to Dave Burk for telling several classes 'How would you feel about your tax dollars going to pay some black fag in New York to take pictures of other black fags?', reports the Daily Herald.

"Instead, consumer education teacher Dave Burk will have a letter of reprimand placed in his permanent file, said his attorney, D.J. Tegeler. "Obviously, what he did was wrong," Tegeler said of Burk, who did not attend Tuesday's board meeting. "He admits what he did was inexcusable."

The veteran teacher came under fire last week after openly gay senior Jordan Hunter, 17, complained to the school district about Burk using a derogatory term to describe homosexuals in class lectures on government subsidies for the arts. Hunter, who was appalled by the comment, said he thinks Burk should be fired for using the rhetoric in front of students. "I'm disappointed and shocked" Burk will continue teaching, he said. "I thought they (the board) would take it more seriously than they did. He's more than entitled to his views and opinions, but there's no reason he needs to express them in the classroom."

Burk reportedly read a letter of apology to students in each of his classes Tuesday, saying he "used a very poor example of words" to make his point. "The message I conveyed was insensitive and hurtful," according to the letter.  "This is not what I had intended."

Jordan Hunter says he is concerned about the example being set to students. "People need to know," Hunter told NBC5. "This is someone influencing the children on Geneva with their tax dollars."

A "warning" letter for a teacher who rants against "black fags" to several classes. Six months in jail for killing a black gay man. Are you starting to see a pattern here?

Comments

[Luther]

He makes a racial slur and homophobic remarks and gets a 'warning?" How do I get a gig like this? Still, no matter what anyone says, the one group that can get based without fear of repercussions are black gays and transgendered, its as if no one cares but us, which is why its up to us to keep this stuff in the news and burn up the phone lines to that school district with our outrage.

[Talarico]

this is freakin' ridiculous.

and Luther of course is right. there is little outrage when black LGBTs, especially transgenders, are targeted. its shows how much this man obsesses over gay issues that he kept driving home 'black fags'. most people automatically associate 'gay' with 'white', but he knows all about black gays in new york.

[Ricky]

This young man was quite courageous to stand up for what he believed in. The educators on the other hand are totally shameless. Kudos to young Jordan Hunter.

[Danny Rivera]

Yet another example of a "Sorry if I offended" non-apologies that are all the rage. smh.

[alicia banks]

not the most macho teacher in the bldg for sure!

his nose looks african
and
he set off my gaydar

no shock here
another self hater x 2

shame!

[Corey]

Burk reportedly read a letter of apology to students...saying he "used a very poor example of words"..."The message I conveyed was insensitive and hurtful"..."This is not what I had intended."

Being hateful, hurtful and insensitive is EXACTLY what he intended! What he wasn't EXPECTING was for someone like young Jordan to STAND UP!

[Jim]

The teacher gets a reprimand. I wonder what Hunter gets. A stamp of “TROUBLE MAKER” in his school file? Maybe the opening of a dossier in Homeland Security?

Rod asks: A “warning” letter for a teacher who rants against “black fags” to several classes. Six months in jail for killing a black gay man. Are you starting to see a pattern here?

I do believe we’ve seen a pattern our entire lives.

[JG, III]

Well, let’s be clear. In doing some research, in most cases where Sodomy Laws were actually implemented or enforced when it was legal were cases involving minorities. The legal decision which finally changed Sodomy Laws was a Supreme Court decision involving Lawrence v. Texas a biracial relationship. In legal documents, where Sodomy Laws were mostly enforced usually involved a white partner in a biracial relationship going free while the African Americans or minority was prosecuted.

Let’s be clear until we (Black LGBTQ) have our own voice and start raising holy hell in our communities will this kind of benign neglect and acceptance continue to happen.

[JG, III]

Case and point: in Seattle, an African American psychopath who was prematurely released from prison and a psychiatric ward went out a rampage killing one white lesbian and causing major injuries to her partner. While the carnage was reprehensible the public outcry from the community caused a quick response to justice.

In this particular instance, had there been a different outcry from the African American community there would have been a different outcome? In our community, the value of our Black LGBTQ folks is still devalued.

[Chitown Kev]

Morning...

Haven't been here 'n awhile but this black fag's sissy bones (all in my bod are in Maine right now volunteering in Maine.

Just wanted to let the board know that I am OK.

[Robert]

It's also telling how uncaring the black community at large is about the remark. If the term used was "black nigger", Al and Jesse and others would be up in arms calling for his immediate dismissal. And I have no doubt he would be dismissed. Because he referred to black gays, it's considered trivial and of no consequence.

[CC]

This is a serious call to action! It now seems that the black gay male (a triple minority) is the lowest person on the totem pole of people. If a white old racist homophobe can get a slap on the hand for this, what does this say about the justice system? what about the murders of black gay men across the country, whose killers are given mere slaps on the wrist, and their charges reduced from hate crimes to man slaughter? Until we black gay men stand up and fight, (literally and metaphorically), this will not change.

[Tim]

Obviously gay lives are cheap in the U.S. - its sad that think that we sometimes look more like Uganda and Jamaica than other progressive western democracies.

[Kevin Perez]

That's just how it, unfortunately. The hypocracy is that young, straight Latino and Black youth who are victims of police brutality are the "ideal" victim in urban, minority communties. If LGBT Blacks and Latinos are killed by straight people in their own communtiy, the attitude is that it's a punishment from God, that we brought upon ourselves or simply trivialize their sexuality to make it about race

They do get the short end of the stick. Lesbians and T folks are literally at the bottom of the pit. Inccidents like this, guys, really do reflect a certain hypocrasy coming from POC and discrimination. It's so hilarous to hear them accuse of mainstream LGBT organizations not helping POC. It's sad there is racism and all that but I can't stomach listining to Blacks, Latinos and other POC cry discrimination while discriminationg, excluding, isolating and mangralizing LGBT of color to near non-existence or even worse, near death.

But where are POC helping out LGBT POC? Hmmm....???? They really should do more on behalf of LGBT teens of color than anybody else, not just mainstream LGBT communties. This other example why I feel the homophobia in POC is not the same.

These kids lives are devalued compared to a straight Blacke/Latino male being beaten up by White cops. Criminals, thugs, rapists, murders, womanizers get more respect and more consideration than LGBT of color.

[roni]

He learned it from the cable pundits who unprofessionally scream everything they want at blacks and gays, without ANY retribution from the networks (or our "leaders" for that matter)

No consequence = incentive to crime.

[Garçon Stupide]

A warning? What?!

The mind boggles.