Jefferson City High School teacher stripped of coaching duties after profanity-laced texts to students
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Jefferson City School District scaled back the duties of one of its teachers after a text conversation with a group of students came to light.
Jemeal Hogan's biography on the JC Schools website said he is in his first year teaching United States history at Jefferson City High School and was on the coaching staff of its basketball team.
A group text conversation with messages the district described as "incompatible with district expectations" led school leaders to take action.
"The conduct reflected in the text messages is wholly incompatible with district expectations for staff conduct," JC Schools spokeswoman Ryan Burns said. "Upon learning of the text messages, the district took immediate action. Mr. Hogan is no longer serving in a coaching capacity, and this situation is being handled as an ongoing personnel matter."
Hogan makes numerous sexual references, refers to certain students as "virgins" and makes several uses of profane language in the group text chain. A source provided the messages to ABC 17 News. The messages described having sex with women and made vulgar references to female body parts.
The JC Schools staff handbook requires teachers to "maintain courteous and professional relationships with pupils, parents/guardians, other employees of the district and all patrons of the district," and to "refrain from using profanity in the school setting."
The policies in the JC Schools handbook are a looser version of their source material, the staff conduct guidelines of the Missouri School Boards Association, which include the following rules for teachers:
- Maintain courteous and professional relationships with students, parents/guardians, other district employees and the public.
- Communicate clearly and professionally. Employees will not use profanity and will not raise their voices unless necessary. Written communication must be grammatically correct.
The MSBA guidelines also state that employees won't be disciplined for speech that is protected by law.
