Colorado student complaints led to an investigation and the eventual firing of a teacher accused of pressuring students to kiss during skits held in her class.
In a unanimous vote, Denver Public Schools board members moved to dismiss 50-year-old foreign language teacher Jennifer Honka for “incompetence and neglect of duty,” according to CBS News, which noted that the board had “no public debate” ahead of the 7-0 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 for 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,” the outlet reported.
OMG
Denver Public Schools Board just voted UNANIMOUSLY to DISMISS lgbtq teacher Jennifer Honka after she reportedly made female students kiss each other and graded them on it
What is going on in these schools?! pic.twitter.com/UjzgTK0HAQ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 16, 2026
An independent review obtained by CBS News found that “those students were always the same sex.”
Honka, who taught French Language and Culture at Northeast Early College, was accused by students who were cited in the report, with one female whose attendance “decreased dramatically” after being told by Honka to kiss another girl.
One student reportedly received a zero score on an assignment after refusing to participate, and another student walked out of the class. Documents revealed allegations that the teacher had “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.”
“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,” according to CBS News.
After her firing, which she disputed, Honka reportedly told investigators that she was the victim of discrimination.
“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,” the outlet reported.
“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,” Keith J. Kirchubel, an administrative law judge from the State of Colorado, wrote in the review.
“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,” Kirchubel stated. “[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.”
In a statement, Denver Public Schools said: “The safety, emotional well-being, and dignity of our students are the absolute highest priorities of Denver Public Schools. All schools must be spaces where students feel safe, respected, and supported.”
“We commend the bravery of the students who came forward to report these incidents, as well as the school staff who acted immediately as mandatory reporters,” the statement added.
(Video Credit: CBS Colorado)
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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