Colorado students report same-sex peers were made to kiss during class assignment, teacher fired

Denver Public Schools board members voted unanimously May 20 to dismiss a 50-year-old foreign language teacher following a district investigation and an independent review into student complaints about a class assignment.

The board voted 7-0 after meeting in executive session to consider the firing of Jennifer Honka. Honka taught French Language and Culture at Northeast Early College for all of her eight years with the district. Officially, Honka was fired for incompetence and neglect of duty. There was no public debate among the board members prior to the vote.

Honka's classroom instruction first came into question during the 2023-24 school year. She had received the highest possible rating in district assessments the prior three years. But then students approached other teachers and complained about skits in Honka's class in which they were asked to kiss one another. 

According to the independent review, issued on April 30th, a copy of which was obtained by CBS Colorado, those students were always the same sex. 

One student told an NEC chemistry teacher about the skits in April 2024. 

"The student was very uncomfortable and did not know what to do," the report stated. "She went ahead and kissed another student at (Honka)'s direction. The student then shared a digital meme with (the chemistry teacher) that included a picture of (Honka) and the caption 'she makes girls kiss.' The meme had circulated among the students.

"After this incident, the student's attendance decreased dramatically."

One student interviewed directly in the independent review also testified that Honka always selected girls to act in the skits. Despite a nearly 50/50 split among boys and girls in the class, the student "could not recall Honka choosing a boy actor."  

This student refused to participate and testified that she received a zero score for a grade on this assignment.

Another student said she walked out of the class. 

An NEC English teacher testified that several students approached her as well. One of the students "appeared upset and defeated," as stated in the independent review. "The student told (the English teacher) that she had been asked to kiss three other girls in one of (Honka)'s skits."

Those skits were titled "The Neighbors Saw Everything" and "The Boring Kiss," according to the report. The latter involves characters who were dating. The script for "The Boring Kiss" includes three different moments when the characters are directed to kiss each other.

One student told the independent reviewer that Honka posted a classroom rule - "the answer is always 'yes'" - that was commonly referenced by Honka and used to pressure students to take part in the skits. Part of students' grades relied on their performance in the bi-weekly skits, according to the report. 

Honka, per the report, had openly disclosed to the class and the school's principal that she was a lesbian and active in LGBTQ support. 

Warren, the principal, filed a report with the Denver Police Department after a third student reported the kissing during skits. She collected statements from the three students and presented them to authorities as a mandatory child protection reporter, according to the independent review. 

No criminal charges resulted from the filing of the police report.

No staff witnessed the alleged kisses during skits, either, per the independent review.

Meanwhile, Honka testified that she did not force students to kiss and would give them alternatives such as blowing a kiss or "fist bumps" if they were uncomfortable. One of the complaining students, in fact, did testify in the independent review that Honka "would allow students to pretend to kiss."  

Honka was described in the independent review as having 24 years of experience as a teacher. CBS Colorado was unable to reach Honka for comment. Honka told investigators she believed she was the subject of discrimination based on her sexual orientation. But, according to the independent review, Honka has filed 18 grievances against the school district as a representative of the teachers'union. According to the school board, none of them included a discrimination claim. 

An administrative law judge from the State of Colorado, Keith J. Kirchubel, wrote the independent review.

"Regardless of whether (Honka) 'forced' the participants to kiss, her choice of script forced them to express their preferences and consent about a very personal and sexualized activity on the spot in front of their peers," Kirchubel stated. "They were also 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.

"[W]hile the notion of using skits as a way to teach French Language may have been effective in general, the way it was implemented by (Honka) was irresponsible and inappropriate."

At the same time the complaints arose about the skits, other reports were made about Honka. Those included allegations that she conveyed personal information with her class -- including details about her history as a victim of child abuse, her struggles with infertility, and her consideration of suicide. 

Honka, in the report, claimed sharing those details was an attempt build rapport, to make students feel safe and able to relate with an adult they could safely talk to.   

It didn't work on one student in her class who had suffered suicidal ideations of his/her own, according to the independent review. That student walked out of the class. 

Honka claimed she had no knowledge of that student's mental health history. 

The state's administrative law judge did not agree with her tactics.

"(Honka)'s disclosure (about her own history of abuse) was reckless and completely disregarded the potential effects on the class," Kirchubel wrote, and exhibited, in addition to the other complaints, he wrote, Honka displayed "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 as it was shown to have negative effects on (Honka)'s students with little or no educational value.  

"Interestingly," he added, "for all of her asserted interest in a diverse and accepting environment at school, it was (Honka) who attributed the outcry by the students to their strong Christian backgrounds. That statement had its own discriminatory ring."

At the conclusion of its initial investigation, DPS staff recommended Honka be terminated. Honka appealed that recommendation, a right granted through the Teacher Employment, Compensation and Dismissal Act (TECDA) of 1990. That then brought in Kirchubel, an administrative law judge from the state. Kirchubel heard testimony presented from both sides - Honka and the district. 

Kirchubel, referred to by the board as the hearing officer in its May 20 meeting, supported Honka's dismissal. 

The board had the choice to retain Honka, place her on a one-year probation, or terminate her, according to a district spokesperson. 

Honka was described in the independent review as having 24 years of experience as a teacher.

Rob Gould, a special education teacher and president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA), released a statement:

 "Every student—regardless of race, identity, or socioeconomic status deserves to feel safe, seen, and welcomed at school. The safety and well-being of our students, families, and educators must remain at the center of every decision we make.

"When safety concerns arise, they must be taken seriously and addressed with care. That means allowing time for a thorough investigation while ensuring due process is respected.

We recognize that the Board of Education has taken action and understand the importance of addressing these concerns in a thoughtful and responsible manner. As we move forward, we remain committed to ensuring every student has the safe and supportive learning environment they need to learn, grow, and achieve their full potential."