Teacher Who Compared Homosexuality to Cancer has certificates suspended

By: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

TRENTON, NJ — Former Union High School teacher Jenye “Viki” Knox, whom you will remember from her 2011 controversial comments where she called homosexuality a “perverted spirit” that “breeds like cancer”, has agreed to a three-year suspension of her teaching certificates over her outrageous comments. Some wonder if that was enough! In fact some say she shouldn’t be allowed to expose children to her bigotry.

When Jenye “Viki” Knox posted her outrageous statement on her personal Facebook page, backlash was instant and captured mainstream media attention.  The special education teacher and faculty adviser to the school’s Bible study group, was pressured to resign.

Outraged by the backlash, Knox didn’t apologize, she instead filed a federal lawsuit claiming that school board officials had violated her free speech and religious rights.

Knox appealed the state Department of Education’s decision to revoke her teaching credentials to the Office of Administrative Law, but then in a twist, presented a proposal to the education department which she would agree to a three-year suspension from teaching in order to save her certificates for future use.

In a surprise move, the education department’s State Board of Examiners agreed to Knox’s proposal on Monday Dec. 8. The agreement means that knox will immediately be suspended from teaching elementary school, nursery school and to teach handicapped students. Knox has been desperate to save her teaching certificates which she has held since February 1990.

I reached out to Knox for comment on my article but she did not return calls for comment.

Knox filed her lawsuit back in 2013 claiming that officials in the Union County district violated her free speech and religious rights.

Her attorney, Demetrios Stratis, said…”These Facebook posts that she made were done on her time, at her home, after school hours, on her home computer, and it was addressing a matter that could arguably be of big societal concerns,” said Stratis.

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