Denver Board Ends Teacher for Kissing Skits and Sharing Trauma-Triggering Topics in Class

The Denver Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on Wednesday to terminate Jennifer Honka, a French language and culture teacher at Northeast Early College, following an investigation and independent review that found she exercised poor judgment by assigning classroom skits involving kissing scenes and sharing sensitive personal information with students.

The board voted 7-0 on May 20 to dismiss Honka for incompetence and neglect of duty after a district investigation and a review conducted by Colorado Administrative Law Judge Keith J. Kirchubel concluded the teacher’s actions violated student safety protocols.

Student complaints from the 2023-24 school year alleged that Honka, who stated she was a lesbian, directed her class to participate in French-language skits involving kissing. Several students reported feeling uncomfortable with the assignments and some indicated lasting effects on their attendance and classroom participation.

In his findings, Kirchubel wrote: “Regardless of whether Honka ‘forced’ participants to kiss, her choice of script forced them to express their preferences and consent about a very personal and sexualized activity in front of peers.” He further noted that students were “forced to determine whether they were comfortable dissenting from the direction of the script to their teacher, who was in a position of control over the situation.”

Kirchubel concluded that while skits could be an effective teaching method for French, “the way it was implemented by Honka was irresponsible and inappropriate.” The review also addressed complaints that Honka discussed personal topics in class, including childhood abuse, infertility struggles, and suicidal thoughts. Kirchubel described those disclosures as “reckless” and stated they reflected a “troubling pattern of poor judgment and neglect of the best interests of the students in her charge.”

“Her choice of skits, her implementation of them, and her repeated disclosure of sensitive and potentially traumatizing information amounted to incompetence and neglect of duty,” Kirchubel wrote.

Honka denied forcing students to kiss and stated she offered alternatives for students who were uncomfortable. She also argued that she faced discrimination due to her sexual orientation. No criminal charges resulted from a police report filed by school administrators, and investigators found no staff members directly witnessed the alleged kissing incidents.

Following testimony from Honka and district officials, Kirchubel recommended termination, which the board adopted. In a statement after the vote, Denver Classroom Teachers Association President Rob Gould emphasized student safety as paramount: “Every student, regardless of race, identity, or socioeconomic status, deserves to feel safe, seen, and welcomed at school.” Gould added that “the safety and well-being of our students, families, and educators must remain at the center of every decision we make.”

Denver Public Schools stated that student safety, emotional well-being, and dignity remain their highest priorities and praised the students and staff who reported concerns.