Ex-N.J. teacher suspended for mocking student's name online

WAYNE, N.J. -- State officials have suspended a former New Jersey teacher's license for a year after she mocked a student's name on Facebook.

Yvette Nicholas agreed that ridiculing the student's name was immature and based on the fact that a syllable of the name sounded like a common expletive.

The name was not disclosed.

The Record newspaper reported Nichols resigned from her tenured job at Pine Lakes Elementary School in Wayne in September 2013. The newspaper says she was paid $76,990 in the 2012-13 school year, according to state payroll records.

Nichols admitted posting comments on her Facebook page ridiculing the student's name, such as, "I want to ask the parents if I can change it" and "I still can't get over the student's name!," according to the Board of Examiners' ruling.

Nichols is alleged to have responded to others' comments on Facebook, "How do you think I feel when I have to address him???? I literally can't stop laughing! I have to go all year with this'--!!!"

The school district determined she had violated the district's harassment, intimidation and bullying policy. The teacher denied bullying the boy.

In responding to the state Board of Examiners, Nichols said "the boy had only been her student for a few days and she 'obviously did not harbor any ill will towards the young man or his family during such a short time period,'" the ruling said.