This Utah Teacher Was Fired for the Most Moronically Homophobic Reason

[Algernon Moncrieff]

http://mic.com/articles/95446/this-utah-teacher-was-fired-for-the-most-moronically-homophobic-reason?utm_source=policymicFB&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social

It's a story straight out of the Onion.

Utah ESL educator and blogger Tim Torkildson wrote in his personal blog that he was fired for writing an educational post at the Nomen Global Center in Provo, Utah, about homophones. According to Torkildson, his boss, Clarke Woodger, told him, "I'm letting you go because I can't trust you... This blog about homophones was the last straw. Now our school is going to be associated with homosexuality."

It's a real-world word crime. Apparently, Woodger doesn't watch enough Weird Al Yankovic.

In this case, Woodger's crime is that he doesn't know what a homophone is, which is precisely why Torkildson was doing his job, teaching elements of the English language to international students from all over the world. Indeed, according to the Nomen site, the company's mission is to help "students from all cultures and walks of life to excel in each aspect of their English acquisition and to obtain their goals for the future."

[dionysus]

1. omg, not satire?!

[Algernon Moncrieff]

3. Nope

http://www.newsweek.com/education-blogger-fired-writing-about-homophones-and-confusing-homophobes-262404

A Utah teacher and education blogger says he was fired from the Nomen Global Language Center in Provo after writing a blog post about homophones, though he disputes media reports that he was let go for promoting a “gay agenda.”

Self-described “social media specialist and content provider” Tim Torkildson recounted the firing in a personal blog post, which was subsequently picked up by The Salt Lake Tribune and other outlets. According to that account, Nomen Global owner Clarke Woodger was concerned that a post about homophones—words that sound the same but are defined differently—meant the school would be “associated with homosexuality.”

“He called me into the conference room, and he said, ‘We’re going to let you go,’” Torkildson told Newsweek. “[He said] this blog on homophones is the last straw. You can’t be trusted. I can’t trust you to write a regular blog.”

[dionysus]

4. dear lord....

we're cooked as a nation...

[Treant]

20. No, but I think they fired him

because he's a which.

[pizzadave]

23. haha. two funny.

[christx30]

28. Eye don't think it's

that funny.

[Treant]

32. Ewe have no cents of

humor.

[ThoughtCriminal]

42. Their are two many homophones in the English language

Am I write?

[ReRe]

24. .

[Louisiana1976]

2. It never ceases to amaze me how stupid some people are.

[Trillo]

5. Oh, come on. There's only one letter of difference!

Homophobe
Homophone

Surely they're related. /sarcasm

[Algernon Moncrieff]

6. Next, he'll be writing about Homo Sapiens

We.can't.have.that

[Journeyman]

41. Or about his sister, who's a thespian in New York . . .

[hughee99]

7. Is it that people are getting dumber

Or that dumber people are being put in positions of power (or both)?

[BrotherIvan]

8. Definitely Both

[rurallib]

9. his boss is homeopathic

[MisterP]

14. and his Christian twin is a homozygous homoousian

[LiberalElite]

10. Yes this does win the prize

wonder how he copes in the Dairy Section of the supermarket with its, you know, - HOMOgenized milk?

[Curmudgeoness]

11. Apparently, this was a private charter school.

Tell me again why privatizing schools is a good idea? Bosses who are total idiots? Good lord.

[caraher]

31. Not a charter

Private, yes, but their clients are mainly prospective US college students from abroad seeking to improve their English skills.

[Downwinder]

12. Have to wonder about the scholarship at the

Nomen Global Center in Provo, Utah.

[sheshe2]

13. Maybe this would make it easier for them to understand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophone

[vanlassie]

18. Oh HELL no. Too many words.

[sheshe2]

19. ROFL!

Yup!

[Rstrstx]

26. Oooooohhhhhh

And all this time I thought this was a homophone:

[sheshe2]

27. LOL! eom

[Mrdrboi]

15. Someone stop the Planet I want off.....

[TygrBright]

16. I am reminded of the DC City Council kerfuffle over "niggardly"... ::sigh:: n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

17. Supposedly

he drank homogenized milk, too

[defacto7]

21. You misspelled a word.

It's not moronically it's Mormonically.

[Aerows]

22. There is uninformed

and just plain stupid. He's got the latter in truck loads.

[cer7711]

25. My God! Wait till Clark sees the phrase "Homo erectus"!

!!!

[Algernon Moncrieff]

33. LOL!

[3catwoman3]

30. This little gem...

...would probably go right over Mr. Woodger's pointy little head -

Ode To Spell Check

I have a spelling chequer.
It came with my PC.

It planely marks four my revue,
Miss takes eye can knot sea.

I've run this poem threw it,
And I'm shore yore glad two no.

It's wonder full in every whey.
My chequer tolled mi sow.

[Zambero]

34. What's the next fireable offense?

Allowing thespians into the school's theatre arts program?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

39. Ooooh - I love movies with thespians

I went to a live show with thespians once...but I can't get into that here on DU.

[Bavorskoami]

35. Homoousianism is not popular in Utah either.

(One doesn't get much opportunity to use the words homoousios or homoousianism but since this is a story about Utah where Mormons predominate it works.)

[Algernon Moncrieff]

38. For those who may be wondering....

Homoousian (/ˌhɒmoʊˈuːsiən/ HOM-oh-OO-see-ən; Ancient Greek: ὁ???ύ????, from the Ancient Greek: ὁ?ό?, homós, "same" and Ancient Greek: ?ὐ?ί?, ousía, "essence, being&quot is a technical theological term used in discussion of the Christian understanding of God as Trinity. The Nicene Creed describes Jesus as being homooúsios with God the Father — that is, they are of the "same substance" and are equally God. This term, adopted by the First Council of Nicaea, was intended to add clarity to the relationship between Christ and God the Father within the Godhead. The term is rendered "consubstantialis" in Latin and in related terms in other Latin-derived languages. It is one of the cornerstones of theology in all Churches that adhere to the Nicene Creed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homoousian

[REP]

36. Not homophobia - anti-semantic

[Algernon Moncrieff]

37. That may be the worst pun I've seen in recent history

Well-played!

[REP]

43. Thank you, thank you. Don't forget to tip your server.

I did have someone, after using every ugly stereotype and typical bigotry to discuss Jews, explain that she wasn't "anti semantic." I told she was as well as being anti Semitic.

[NuclearDem]

40. Actually neither. Homophonia.

[WinkyDink]

44. They're nuts there.