Teacher Fired For Online Comment, Doesn’t Know What He Said

Munhall, PA – A teacher has been fired for a comment he made online, but administrators won’t tell him what he said to lose his job or even which social network he said it on.

Alan Francis was a full-time substitute teacher for Steel Valley High School in Pennsylvania before receiving a virtual pink slip from school administrators over something he posted on social media. He has worked for the district for seven years and was fired for a comment he made to a female student on either Facebook or Twitter.

According to Francis, a parent complained about his comment, but he was never told exactly what he had said. The school district told him that his comment was neither vulgar nor inappropriate, though it was an apparent compliment he paid to the female student which made a parent uncomfortable.

“Supposedly a mother had come forward. They said I made a comment to her daughter on Facebook or Twitter, I guess,” he said.

Francis says that he’s very careful about what he puts on social media since comments are public. He said that he’s just confused about the whole situation and wants an explanation.

“They haven’t told me what was said or even if I was the one who said it,” Francis said. “They said it was not vulgar, explicit or sexual in nature.”

Francis said that if the situation is just a misunderstanding and is eventually cleared up, he would take his job back if it was offered to him.

“It hurts to get let go this way after seven great years,” Francis said. “I love the kids there. I love the students. I love the people there.”

The school district refused to comment on the situation. Steel Valley Superintendent Ed Wehrer told local news outlet Channel 11: “I appreciate your diligence in gathering as much information as possible about a story before you broadcast it. Our policy is not to discuss personnel issues in public, so I have no comment.”