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ANALYSIS

Right's New Quarry: Gay Ed. Appointee

Fox et al. say Kevin Jennings didn't act on 1980s statutory rape

By W. McCahill| Posted Oct 2, 09 9:30 PM CDT|

(Newser) – One of President Obama’s appointees to the Department of Education has become the latest target for conservatives emboldened by the departures of green-jobs adviser Van Jones and others. Assistant deputy secretary Kevin Jennings is accused of neglecting to report a statutory rape case when he was a teacher in Massachusetts in the 1980s—but records show that the boy involved was 16, legally able to consent under state law.

Left-leaning blogs have jumped to defend Jennings, a longtime gay activist who was in the closet at the time of the incident. David Corn notes that, in essence, the right is vilifying Jennings for not outing the student. “This is now a fight with consequences extending beyond who’s handling safe school policy for President Obama,” he writes for Politics Daily. Rachel Weiner, blogging for the Huffington Post, notes with disdain that mainstream outlets like Politico have picked up on the “distorted” Fox News version.

[Images (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

Kevin Jennings, assistant deputy secretary of education for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. (Facebook)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

The right is vilifying Jennings because he didn't tell the student's parents or the authorities that this closeted gay student was having sex with an older man. That is, he didn't out this student, who was clearly troubled by his inability to be open about his sexual orientation - David Corn

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

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Sarah Palin Deserves Some More Attention

36 comments

VIEWING:

Doctor_Zaius
Oct 2, 09 9:45 PM CDT

More fake outrage and bullshit from Republicans. Remember, the only Gays Republicans like are the closeted Gay Republicans in the house and senate who do their duty and promote the anti-Gay agenda. Larry Craig, Mark Foley, Bob Allen etc. got in trouble for getting caught, not because they were Gay. Reply

+20

IN RESPONSE:

doingtherightthing
Oct 2, 09 11:14 PM CDT

This comment has been removed by Newser’s community. You must be logged in to view this comment.

-16

IN RESPONSE:

Addyp
Oct 2, 09 11:20 PM CDT

Yeah, Doctor Zaius's coherent and well informed posts must be the result of some sort of left-wing-troll-conspiracy. :/ Honestly Doing-the-right-thing, if the best you can do is call Doctor Zaius names and make baseless accusations against Jennings, perhaps it would be best if you kept your comments to yourself. P.S Do you even know what ellipses are supposed to be used for?

+12

IN RESPONSE:

Spudsy
Oct 2, 09 11:36 PM CDT

Yes doingtherightthing, he may very well have to hand out condoms to six year olds, to protect them from pedophile Republican senators like Mark Foley.

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Oct 3, 09 12:21 AM CDT

FOX publicizes an event or topic and sets the stage. They provide the audience; they'll even whip them up for you! You can follow their script or you can try acting out yourself. If you're amusing, then you'll make it on their show. ....................... Now FOX News, and all the other networks as a result, have found a new storyline they will have us dancing to, "The Gay Guy Is After Your Kids!" . . ....................... . . . I just don't understand how anyone thinks FOX News is unbiased. Everything they do is pretend! It is all fiction . . . set in a real world -- with some real-world spontaneous reactions. We call it Reality TV. And FOX News is Reality TV at the next level, and the subject made a laughing matter is you!

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 3, 09 1:09 AM CDT

@shon no one who watches that network thinks that they are unbiased. Even the Fox anchors don't think that they are unbiased. They say Fair and Balanced because they bring you both sides of the argument not because they are in the middle.

-6

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Zaius
Oct 3, 09 4:46 PM CDT

Your bullshit statement implies that there's something wrong with being gay, which proves your a Republican.

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Zaius
Oct 3, 09 4:46 PM CDT

Oops, your =you're

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Zaius
Oct 3, 09 4:55 PM CDT

Oops oops, I was right the first time. Damn I need a nap.

IN RESPONSE:

schmidtkoff
Oct 4, 09 8:14 AM CDT

@doing - why don't you do the right thing for a change like use some rational reasoning instead of spewing diarrhea from the mouth. it is said that a brain is a terrible thing to waste, that is if one has one to begin with.

| 0 minutes ago

proud_prude
Oct 2, 09 9:47 PM CDT

If the right wing wants to have an open discussion and debate about the issues raised by this incident, so be it. Anything to decrease the arnount of Polanski garbage being put out there. There's been way rnore than enough of it on newser. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Toon
Oct 3, 09 9:26 AM CDT

So a decades old statutory rape of a 13 yo should not be in the news but but a decades old consensual relationship of a 16 yo should? Why?

IN RESPONSE:

I_hate_to_say
Oct 3, 09 4:52 PM CDT

Toon, prudie's just saying that there's been an excess of coverage of the Polanski story here and elsewhere. Nuff areddy.

IN RESPONSE:

shonangreg
Oct 3, 09 8:36 PM CDT

"... evil plan to get you a thumbs up ..." Your fascination with schemes no one else cares about sounds familiar . . . I *don't* think you're CK under another guise -- and maybe not kokua/proud under a 3rd either . . . Still, Stopth, you're playing adolescent games and boasting about it here. Grow up -- or be ignored.

-1

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Zaius
Oct 2, 09 10:11 PM CDT

BZZZZZZZ! Survey Says...Wrong Answer!

+11

IN RESPONSE:

Snarfeh
Oct 2, 09 10:19 PM CDT

blitz, I would expect a teabagging boy like you to know how old your teabagg-ee's should be....

-2

IN RESPONSE:

aprilfool
Oct 2, 09 10:22 PM CDT

Did you even read the article, jibitz? It clearly states he was past the age of consent in the FIRST PARAGRAPH. Besides, he confided in Jennings AFTER the affair took place. What Jennings said--and what the GOP is twisting like Chubby Fucking Checker-- is that he "hoped he used protection." Just another witch hunt to hobble this administration.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 2, 09 10:48 PM CDT

@april how exaclty do you twist the line about using protection. That would mean either he did or didn't, and it wasn't like the guy was a couple of years older then the boy, he was in his 40's. So you take that and you change out 16 year old boy to 16 year old girl, and do you think that the teacher should have said something? If you don't then you have some issues and if you do then tell me what right is doing wrong on that one point, and who cares when it happens? the left loves to make fun of the catholic priests and their sex crimes and that happens AFTER the act is over as well.

-2

IN RESPONSE:

aprilfool
Oct 2, 09 11:20 PM CDT

@godawgs: Again, if you read the article, it clarifies that this 16-year-old was beyond the age of consent....... Translation: not a sex crime (if it's a boy or a girl. Age of consent is age of consent, regardless of how I personally feel about the relationship in question)...... The way they're twisting the "hope you used protection" comment --from the news clips I read and watched, anyway--was the implication that Jennings recommended he use protection before the affair took place (which, morally speaking, makes a big difference in my mind. Jennings hoping the 16-year-old USED protection is different than saying to a student, "Oh, you're having an affair with an adult? Make sure you use protection! In other It wasn't a recommendation, because it already happened).....As far as what you're saying about Cath. Priests molesting kids, well, that's a whole different scenario altogether, and your analogy doesn't really fit this particular situation.

+11

IN RESPONSE:

Shannonals
Oct 2, 09 11:26 PM CDT

Advise you to look at your own states law on consent jiblitz prior to making unfounded statements.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 3, 09 1:06 AM CDT

@april 16 being the age of consent doesn't make the affair right, when the older man is in his 40's. Now the reason I bring up the Catholic priests is because some of those boys are around the same age of this young man so you it does make sense. Now I what I am taking from this if you were a parent with a 16 year old boy or girl you would have no problem with them dating a 40 year old man or woman then, is that correct? Reading your statement I think that you know that the teacher should have said something. The teacher has an obligation to alert the boy's parents or authorities about the affair the same if it was between a girl and an older man. Just because the boy was in the closet doesn't change that.

-6

| 0 minutes ago

freethemall
Oct 2, 09 10:08 PM CDT

The new McCarthyism is alive and well. The tactics of the right wing reactionary faction of the Republican Party have changed very little since the 1950's. It is to be hoped it backfires on them, big time. It should! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Jayster999
Oct 3, 09 12:25 AM CDT

Hope this misfit appointee goes down in flames. No pun intended. Reply

-11

| 0 minutes ago

Mia
Oct 3, 09 3:14 AM CDT

I bet if it would have been a drugged 13 year old, he would have tons of support. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

drlarrymitchell
Oct 3, 09 3:16 AM CDT

Every Ed I know is gay. So What? Reply

| 0 minutes ago

yoeydude
Oct 3, 09 7:35 AM CDT

man ,..... I love this place , ... but ,..... fuck , isnt the point of exchange , to evolve ? you know ,... hey that idea sounds real ,... and I think that I'll adopt it and modify a past belief ,.... I think thats the way its supposed to happen ,...... ahhh ,...... can anyone look at the Hubbell photos of the absolute most amazing images ,.... of .... what ? art ? , heaven ? , God ? , The Future ? , The Past ? ,.... fuck , ya got me ,........ but did the creator of that cosmos ,.... care if some guy wants to stick his dick in another guy ? ,..... or that a woman could possibly prefer the company of sistas ? ,....... we are apes ........ I hope some minds are moved in new directions after participating here ,..... that would make even me , feel civilized ,.... I do love this new tech that lets us hear each other ,.... but ,.... I cant help feeling that ,................. I dunno Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Stasis
Oct 3, 09 7:38 AM CDT

Republicans don't like hearing about gays because it reminds them that they enjoy sucking strange men's testicles.... Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Shannonals
Oct 4, 09 11:48 AM CDT

Hmmmmm, and has anyone wondered why Fox news anchors haven't contacted this mysterious boy? This article has been hot for a few days on the network, but nothing has been said in the past 48 hours.

| 0 minutes ago

KennyBoy
Oct 3, 09 11:39 AM CDT

Ensign is still a senator? Sanford is still Governor of SC? Reply

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Oct 3, 09 2:01 PM CDT

yes

| 0 minutes ago

chrisb01
Oct 3, 09 1:02 PM CDT

FOX News is the number one news channel in America and half of the rest of the world. Fox has better ratings than CNN and gay oriented NBC put together. Jennings is a damn homo and a pervert. He should not be allowed near anybody boy or girl 18 or younger. Have you people forgot that Barney Frank is an admiitted gay and likes young boys. He never did released his diary. Reply

-5

IN RESPONSE:

eliex
Oct 3, 09 4:07 PM CDT

haha, gay oriented NBC? where do you people come from? jeez, the new stimulus broadband funds must be reaching the backwoods already. youre a crazy person. and why are you bringing barney frank into this? if 'we people' should be afraid of anyone, its happy foot larry who is so self repressed he has to get his jollies in a public bathroom.

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Zaius
Oct 3, 09 4:50 PM CDT

McDonalds is the Number One hamburger in the country and in the world! Doesn't make it good....

IN RESPONSE:

Shannonals
Oct 4, 09 11:46 AM CDT

Bit of a Homophobe aren't you chrisb01. You make think your a conservative, but with comments like that it seems you have issues that you need to address, i.e., your personal desires

| 0 minutes ago

yoeydude
Oct 3, 09 5:07 PM CDT

the tyrranny of thee ignoramuses is insurmountable and assured for all time Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

Adapt-Overcome
Oct 5, 09 7:44 AM CDT

THE REPUBLICAN HOMOPHOBES ARE AT IT AGAIN. Reply

-1

| 0 minutes ago

View all 36 comments »

Department of Education • Fox News • Michelle Malkin • Sean Hannity • right wingers • political appointee • liberal media • Van Jones • Kevin Jennings • left wing

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Holdout Democrat Will Vote to Move Bill Forward

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Right's New Quarry: Gay Ed. Appointee