Watchmen Founder Wants High School Teachers Fired
A founder of , an international organization that is ferociously anti-gay, isn鈥檛 who Hatewatch would choose to speak at an MLK day event. But that鈥檚 what happened on Jan. 17, when the Rev. Ken Hutcherson spoke at Mt. Si High School in Snoqualmie, Wash.
At the student-planned assembly, Hutcherson, founder of a Seattle-area megachurch, was booed by English teacher George Potratz. Kit McCormick, an adviser for the school鈥檚 Gay/Straight Alliance club, asked Hutcherson how he could admire Dr. King but fight against civil rights for homosexuals. 鈥淚 think her deal was that I don鈥檛 believe in equal rights for everybody,鈥� Hutcherson told a reporter later. During his speech, Hutcherson talked about growing up as a black man in the South.
Last week, school principal Randy Taylor for their actions with a letter that will be included in their personnel files. But for Hutcherson, that鈥檚 not enough. He told the that he wants the teachers fired.
The reverend, who refers to the school鈥檚 Gay/Straight Alliance as wrote, 鈥淚t鈥檚 time we wake up and realize we are in a culture WAR!鈥� He claims the questions and boos from the two teachers embarrassed him; Hutcherson鈥檚 daughter is a student in one of Potratz鈥檚 classes.
Declarations of war are nothing new for Watchmen members. In one of the group鈥檚 videos, a Watchman activist puts it : 鈥淵our generation beat the Nazis, and our country beat the Communists. Together we will defeat the homosexuals!鈥�
Both teachers say they are working with their union to contest the disciplinary letters. They鈥檝e also been offered pro bono legal support from the Human Rights Commission and the National Organization for Women. A parent-run group is organizing in support of the two teachers and posts daily updates about the Hutcherson situation on its .
