'She Makes Girls Kiss': US Teacher Fired After Students Allegedly Pressured Into Same-Sex Kisses for Graded Skits

Professors use different teaching techniques to pass on what they know about a particular subject to the next generation. Unfortunately, there are some who do so in ways that are not necessarily effective for all students.

One former teacher who came under fire for her teaching methods was Jennifer Honka. She taught French language and culture at Northeast Early College for about eight years before her teaching career came to an abrupt end.

Honka was reportedly fired for incompetence and neglect of duty, according to a CBS News report. The 50-year-old was dismissed following a district investigation into student complaints about what the teacher instructed them to do.

This occurred during skits in which students were allegedly asked to kiss one another. According to an independent review obtained by CBS Colorado, the students involved were always of the same sex.

Honka's unusual assignments allegedly took place during the 2023–24 school year. At one point, one of her students became very uncomfortable and eventually shared details of the unconventional skit with another teacher at the school.

'The student was very uncomfortable and did not know what to do,' the official report stated. 'She went ahead and kissed another student at (Honka)'s direction. The student then shared a digital meme with (the chemistry teacher) that included a picture of (Honka) and the caption 'she makes girls kiss'.'

Girl Students Were Honka's Preference

In the class handled by Honka, there was an even distribution of boys and girls. However, in an interview, one of her students claimed that the teacher preferred to call on female students to perform the skits.

The student added that she could not recall a time when the foreign language teacher selected boys for the activity.

The girl who was interviewed was reportedly among the students Honka had called upon to take part in the skits. When she refused to do so, she was allegedly given a failing grade by the teacher.

The Controversial Skits

The skits in which students were asked to perform awkward kissing scenes were titled The Neighbours Saw Everything and The Boring Kiss. The latter included three scenes in which characters were directed to kiss one another.

A student claimed that those selected to perform the skits were pressured to follow the script. Honka allegedly posted a classroom rule stating: 'the answer is always yes'.

This was said to be the 50-year-old's way of pressuring students into performing as instructed. In addition, participation was reportedly critical to students' grades.

Honka's Response

When asked to explain the allegations, Honka argued that she never forced students to kiss. She claimed that she gave students alternative ways to act out the skits, such as blowing a kiss or using fist bumps.

Ironically, Honka's claim was supported by one of the complaining students, who confirmed that the teacher did allow students to pretend to kiss.

Despite this, Keith J. Kirchubel, an administrative law judge for the State of Colorado, argued that the manner in which Honka conducted her teaching was handled poorly.

'While 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,' Kirchubel stated.

Beyond her controversial teaching methods, the investigation also examined other disclosures made by Honka. These included admitting to students that she was a victim of child abuse, struggled with infertility, and had previously contemplated suicide.

She explained that she revealed these personal experiences to establish rapport and make students feel safe and able to relate to an adult. However, the strategy ultimately proved ineffective and did not achieve her stated intentions. Members of the Denver Public Schools board voted unanimously to dismiss Honka.

After that decision, it appears Honka's teaching journey may continue. In a report from Fox News, the 50-year-old was listed as an English language development teacher on the Malley Drive Elementary School website.