Last modified: Thursday, February 15, 2007 1:14 AM EST KP teacher defends criticism of Brown BY JIM HAND SUN CHRONICLE STAFF WRENTHAM - The social studies teacher who prompted state Sen. Scott Brown's appearance before King Philip students last week admits he went on a "rant" in class one day over the issue of gay marriage, but said he never resorted to profanity or encouraged students to make nasty online comments about legislators, including Brown. Joe Ferreira, a teacher at King Philip Regional High School, has been at the center of a dispute involving Brown, R-Wrentham. Brown went to Ferreira's classes last Thursday to rebut the teacher's view on gay marriage, but in the process read profanity-laced comments some students had written about him online. Brown contends the students and Ferreira were engaging in hate speech and cyber-bullying. The senator also said Ferreira was misusing his position as a teacher to politically influence students. In a telephone interview Wednesday, Ferreira emphasized he was speaking to The Sun Chronicle as a private citizen and not as a representative of King Philip schools. He said Brown's charges about him are untrue. Ferreira said he did not know students were writing about him and Brown online, adding he was stunned to hear from Brown that the facebook.com Web page the students were writing on said "Ferreira is god." The profanity the students used in their postings was inappropriate, Ferreira said, and he said he told them so when he found out. Ferreira said he never used profanity in the classroom or in his writings about gay marriage. "Foul language is a poor way to express oneself. The English language is too rich to resort to foul language," he said. He did admit to using insults in the heat of the moment in e-mails to local legislators, but said they were not profane. Ferreira said the day after Brown and other legislators voted to put a ban on gay marriage on the 2008 ballot, he went on a "rant" to his students about putting discrimination in the state constitution. He said he was just being passionate, and was not trying to influence his students. "The idea that I could influence them politically is as funny to them as it is to me," he said. Brown, however, said parents contacted him about the teacher "pushing his personal agenda on their children," and misrepresenting his vote. The senator said the student "idol worship" Ferreira, so he is influential to them. Ferreira said the policy at the high school is to present controversial issues with balance. There was no opposing view at that time. Brown later contacted the school superintendent to ask for time to address the students. Ferreira said if Brown had restricted himself to speaking on the legislative process and gay marriage, as he said he would, the session would have been a valuable learning experience for the students. Instead, he said, Brown's quoting profanity from the facebook Web site and singling out students who wrote about him overshadowed the intended subject matter. "If he had stuck to explaining why he thinks gay marriage is wrong, it would have been a wonderful learning opportunity," Ferreira said. "Instead, you see what has happened." What has happened is a week's worth of controversy about Brown reading the profanity, and then defending his actions. Brown said he was standing up to cyber-bullies and holding students accountable for their words. He said if he read the comments without the swear words, it would have amounted to censorship. Brown said he has been flooded with calls and e-mails congratulating him for standing up to the students. Brown has refused to apologize, but Ferreira said he regrets the whole incident because it has caused the students and the school so much trouble. He said King Philip is an excellent high school where students accomplish wonderful things. "Frankly, the kids don't need this and King Philip doesn't need this," he said. JIM HAND covers politics for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0399 or at jhand@thesunchronicle.com.