In response, Loftis is threatening litigation. "They're going to have a lawsuit on their fucking hands," he told Riptide yesterday evening. "They should expect a discrimination suit that will be played out on television."
Clearly, this saga is just beginning.
Last year, Loftis was fired from his substitute teaching position -- through which he had filled in at Nautilus Middle, Edison Middle, and Fienberg-Fisher K-8 -- after a principal discovered his career in such films as Mo' Bubble Butt, Humping Iron, and Desperate Husbands. Though he claims he had quit the business, Loftis had performed under the nom de porn Collin O'Neal.
The district cited a so-called "moral turpitude" clause that states that school faculty must "conduct themselves, both in their employment and in the community, in a manner that will reflect credit upon themselves and the school system." His teaching certification was also revoked.
On Friday, a state commission ruled that Loftis be allowed to pursue certification. But the Miami-Dade school district maintains that Loftis was working in the adult film industry at the same time that he was substitute teaching. And despite his certification, the district is free to deny him employment based on that porn work.
"Having a teaching certificate is not a guarantee of employment as a teacher," John Schuster, Miami-Dade Schools spokesman, said in a statement to Riptide. "School districts are under no obligation to provide employment to any individual just because they hold a teaching certificate."
Loftis say he will apply to be reinstated as a Miami-Dade teacher. If he's denied, he'll sue. "That's my plan all along," says Loftis. "If the state says something, and Miami-Dade County goes against it, then I can sue."
We're no legal experts, but we're not doubting Loftis on this one. Who would have expected a gay porn star to prevail in an appeal to the state education commission in the first place?
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