First there were the tax problems that led Tom Daschle, and others, to withdraw before the administration even took effect; then there was Green Jobs Czar Van Jones and his affiliation with 9/11 truthers; then there was National Endowment for the Arts Communications Director Yosi Sergant, who allegedly sought to recruit artists to create pro-Obama works.
Now there is Kevin Jennings, director of the Education Dept.'s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools--who has come under attack for, in his young teaching days, counseling a 15-year-old 16-year-old* student who sought advice on a homosexual relationship with an older man--the latest Obama appointee to receive an onslaught of conservative criticism, including calls for his job.
Politics Daily's David Corn sums it up:
So what did Jennings do?Jennings has released a statement that now, 21 years later, he sees that he should have handled the situation differently. Education Secretary Arne Duncan released a statement of support for his employee.
In a 1994 book, he recounted his experience as an in-the-closet gay teacher at a private school, and he described a 1988 episode in which a male high school sophomore confided to him his involvement with an older man. Jennings was 24 years old then, and as he wrote, "I listened, sympathized, and offered advice. He left my office with a smile on his face that I would see every time I saw him on the campus for the next two years, until he graduated."
In a 2000 talk to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, which Jennings had started, he recalled that this student had been 15 years old, had met the older man in a bus station bathroom--for that was the only way he knew how to meet gay people--and that he (Jennings) had told him, "I hope you knew to use a condom." Jennings' best friend had died of AIDS the week before his chat with the student. According to Jennings, the student replied, "Why should I? My life isn't worth saving anyway."
The right is vilifying Jennings because he didn't tell the student's parents or the authorities that this closeted gay student was having sex with an older man. That is, he didn't out this student, who was clearly troubled by his inability to be open about his sexual orientation.
Jennings faces criticism not only from conservative pundits, but from the social-conservative establishment as well: the Family Research Council released a statement on Tuesday alleging that "Jennings has shown a disregard for parental rights and for our children's well being, yet he is the President's choice to keep our schools safe! Safe for sexual predators it would seem!"
The embattled appointee seems to enjoy more backing from the administration than his fallen predecessors. We'll see if the calls for a resignation escalate, and whether he withstands them.
Jennings also wrote a forward to something called Queering Elementary Education (enthusiastically blurbed by Presidential terrorist pal Bill Ayers.) Our President has a positive gift for routing out the biggest flakes in Leftidom and giving them jobs in his Administration.
Chris - the "kid" he counseled was not 15, he was actually 16, and the age of consent in MA at the time was 16.
via Huff Po (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/01/kevin-jennings-obama-aide_n_306950.html): http://mediamatters.org/research/200910010014
Also, I would note the irony of the FRC being appalled that a teacher didn't "interfere" while at the same time, they decry how teachers and educators are attempting to 'indoctrinate' students. Ironic, also, that they completely ignore the student's reply that his life wasn't worth saving, and the reason why he would have felt that way, and why numerous students 21 years later very likely still share that sentiment. But hey - they care about families. Just as long as those families don't have gay children.
the student was 16, past the age of consent meaning Jennings had no legal grounds to tell the parents. And seeing as how he was acting as the student's counselor, they were probably confidentiality issues involved as well.
of course none of that matters to the right because this "issue" has gays involved so they, of course, lose their collective sh*t.
Hmmm...let's see, I can believe leftist propaganda sites like Media Matters, or I can believe Jennings himself, who said in a 2000 speech to gay and lesbian group:
"I said, 'What were you doing in Boston on a school night, Brewster?' He got very quiet, and he finally looked at me and said, 'Well I met someone in the bus station bathroom and I went home with him.' High school sophomore, 15 years old' I looked at Brewster and said, 'You know, I hope you knew to use a condom.'"
Audio of the speech is available here:
http://wthrockmorton.com/2009/06/02/kevin-jennings-appointed-to-department-of-education-post/
Who should I believe? Leftist propagandists or my own ears? Tough one, eh?
And it's not that he didn't alert the parents, it's that he broke the law by not filing a report.
interesting insight into the mind of a beckian conservative.
anything that contradicts what you want to believe is "propaganda"...no matter how true, or coherent, or logical if a fact contradicts what your preconceived notions tell you is true, then it's GOT TO BE PROPAGANDA because you can never be wrong...about anything. ever.
i suggest you actually read the media matters report before calling it "propaganda" but then, that would require you to be open to the fact that you could actually be wrong about something...
Jennings in his own voice said he was 15. Jennings' attorney said the boy was 16 years later - and attorneys never lie to protect their client. Take the time Freaktown to listen to the audio and then comment. It would also help if you put down the kool aid you're drinking while you listen to the audio.
How long before we start asking for this guy's birth certificate?
So now that even Fox News has corrected their error, is it okay to believe the facts now?
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/political-media/fox-news-corrects-false-claims-about-gay-obama-education-adviser-will-hannity-do-the-same/
And note, too, that "a Fox News reporter had been informed directly by the kid himself that they’d misrepresented his age."
But hey, your own ears are obviously much more informed. Shine on, you brilliantly informed diamond.
I hope Mr. Jennings isn't thrown under the bus. He seems, based on my knowledge of this situation, to have acted compassionately and correctly (from a legal standpoint), and I've yet to see a serious criticism of him that wasn't rooted in a thinly veiled case of homophobia. If any reader here has a good argument for Jennings dismissal that isn't rooted in such hatreds I'd be very open to their argument (honestly), but I have yet to see such a case made.
If in 1988 my son (yes I have a son, he is 17) was gay and he went to an adult who recognized that going after the adult who he had had sex with would mean my child would be outed, open to ridicule and harassment and just might commit suicide I think I would be much happier with a live gay son having sex with an older man then, well, a gay dead son if that was the choice.
There is so much in life that is not black and white and the choices we make might be right for a certain time, but not right for now.
Now days, thank God, there is less chance this young man would have been treated badly by other students, the authorities or even his parents then he might have been back in 1988.
Jennings is going to be working on issues of bullying not sexuality.
I wish the right would stop being so worried about the Gay.
You guys lost the election.
How about you get on with figuring out how to win the next one instead of nitpicking issues like this.
I think it is time for the White House to issue a great big FU to conservatives in this country and just do whatever they want when it comes to WH personnel.
So what did Jennings say after the kid asked why he should be using a condom?
There must be some room between outing a kid to his community and letting him have unprotected sex with an older man that picks up guys at bus stations and then doesn't have the sense to use a condom.
Could somebody explain the moral problem here? Is it that he may have been 15 and not 16? Is it that the relationship is homosexual and not heterosexual? Is that Jennings had a legal responsibility to breach confidentiality between himself and the student? Seriously - I have no idea what the controversy is. It seems Jennings acted in professional, compassionate and serious manner.
The bsic issue for me is that Jennings reportied this in 1994, in a book about how teachers were unprepared to deal with these issues, and then went on to a career dedicated to eradicating that issue. That actually speaks well of Mr. Jennings, and I'm happy to support him.
I took a workshop with Kevin Jennings in 1999. It was incredibly powerful.
It is instructive that the preferred conservative method of dealing with homosexual youth would be to have them reprorgrammed - look how well that worked for Larry Craig and Mark Foley.
Some of these comments border on the bizarre. Mr. Jennings failed in his responsibility to his student. Since when is it okay for high school kids to be having any kind of sex with an adult??