Hundreds Of Proponents And Opponents Of Anti-Gay New Jersey High School Teacher Attend School Board Meeting

About 300 people turned out tonight for a Union Township school board meeting to both denounce and defend Viki Knox, the high school teacher whose anti-gay Facebook comments have ignited a fiery debate over free speech, gay rights and the separation of church and state, The Star-Ledger reports. Before the meeting began, competing chants of "No hate in our state" and "Don’t bully Viki" rang out from demonstrators on the lawn outside the Union High School library, where the meeting was held. Gospel singing could be heard outside as the meeting took place. Some protesters identified themselves as Union parents and students, but many others said they had traveled from across the state to make their opinions about Knox’s action’s known. Garden State Equality, a gay rights advocacy group, organized some protesters, while representatives from Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay-rights association, attended to deliver a petition signed by 75,000 supporters calling for Knox’s firing. The uproar over Knox began two weeks ago when she posted comments on her public Facebook page critical of a Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month display at the school. The special-education teacher with more than 20 years of experience went on to describe homosexuality as "a perverted spirit" and "a sin that breeds like cancer." The district launched an investigation last week to determine whether Knox’s conduct violated any school policies. The teacher retained an attorney Friday through her union, the New Jersey Education Association. In an earlier post, Knox had called on students in her Seekers Fellowship Bible study group to pray. "Well, the enemy is making it clear and plain as day what Seekers Fellowship needs to pray about/against," Knox wrote beneath a photo of the display. Tonight, the school board received an update on the investigation. Board president Francis "Ray" Perkins said members would not be taking any immediate action after the public comment session, which began around 9:15 pm. The district would not comment on whether Knox has been suspended. Maureen Glover of Asbury Park held a sign outside that read "Homosexuality is found in over 450 species. Homophobia is found in only 1. Which one seems unnatural now?" Glover said she identifies herself as a gay American. "It’s outrageous that she would post such comments in a public forum," she said. "She is helping to shape students’ values, and in the middle of all these suicides, the bullying and hatred has to stop." Others, like Harry Skeele of Hillsborough, defended Knox."I don’t want to see her get fired over this," Skeele said. "Viki has a First Amendment right to express her opinion, a freedom the gay community has ridden before." Ivonne McPherson, a Union parent with three children in the district’s public schools, said she was overwhelmed. Though she hoped to learn the facts regarding Knox, she said she feared the meeting would become too raucous. "I’m a Christian. As a Christian parent, I wanted to know what was going on and instead I come out and see this," McPherson said. "They’re not speaking, they’re just shouting at each other." Paisley Yemofio, who brought her toddler and baby with her to the meeting, said she hoped the district would find a way to indicate Knox’s comments were unacceptable. "I’ve never come to anything like this before, but it’s my town and my kids are going to go to these schools some day," she said.