A Colorado teacher has been fired after an investigation found that students were allegedly encouraged to kiss classmates during classroom skits, a practice that some students said left them feeling uncomfortable and pressured because participation affected their grades.
The controversy centers on Jennifer Honka, a French language and culture teacher at Northeast Early College in Denver. According to CBS News, the Denver Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on May 20 to terminate her employment for what officials described as incompetence and neglect of duty.
The decision followed an independent review that painted a troubling picture of classroom activities that administrators and investigators ultimately concluded crossed professional boundaries.
According to the report, concerns first surfaced in April 2024 when a student confided in a chemistry teacher about one of the classroom skits. The student reportedly felt uncomfortable but said she participated anyway after being directed to kiss another student during the exercise.
The incident apparently became well known among students.
Investigators noted that a meme circulated among classmates featuring a photograph of Honka alongside the caption, “she makes girls kiss.” According to the review, the student involved became so distressed that her attendance declined significantly afterward.
Multiple students reportedly described similar experiences.
One student told investigators that girls were routinely selected for the kissing roles despite the class being split roughly evenly between male and female students. The student said she refused to participate and subsequently received a zero on the assignment.
Another student reportedly walked out of class altogether.
An English teacher at the school testified that several students approached her with concerns. One student allegedly told her that she had been asked to kiss three different girls as part of classroom skits.
The performances in question reportedly included exercises titled The Neighbors Saw Everything and The Boring Kiss, with the latter involving characters who were dating.
Students also described what they said was a classroom rule promoted by Honka: “the answer is always yes.” According to the report, that phrase was used to encourage participation in the biweekly skits, which counted toward performance grades.
The investigation further noted that Honka had openly discussed her personal life with students, including identifying herself as a lesbian and supporter of LGBTQ causes.
Beyond the skits, investigators found that Honka allegedly shared deeply personal information with students, including discussions about fertility struggles, suicidal thoughts, and childhood abuse.
Honka defended those disclosures by arguing that she was attempting to build trust and rapport with students. However, investigators found that some students reacted negatively to those conversations. One student reportedly walked out of class during a discussion involving suicide.
A key issue for investigators was not whether students were physically forced to kiss, but whether the classroom environment created pressure to participate.
Honka testified that students who were uncomfortable could choose alternatives such as blowing a kiss or exchanging fist bumps. One student interviewed during the investigation confirmed that alternatives were sometimes permitted.
Still, Administrative Law Judge Keith J. Kirchubel concluded that the structure of the assignments itself created an inappropriate dynamic.
“Regardless of whether (Honka) ‘forced’ the participants to kiss, her choice of script forced them to express their preferences and consent about a very personal and sexualized activity on the spot in front of their peers,” Kirchubel wrote.
He further noted that students were placed in the difficult position of deciding whether to challenge their teacher’s instructions in a public classroom setting where grades were involved.
While Kirchubel acknowledged that role-playing and skits can be effective language-learning tools, he concluded that Honka’s implementation of those exercises was “irresponsible and inappropriate.”
The situation escalated enough that Northeast Early College Principal Jennifer Warren filed a report with the Denver Police Department after additional student complaints surfaced.
Denver Public Schools officials defended the board’s decision, emphasizing that student welfare must remain the district’s top priority.
“The safety, emotional well-being, and dignity of our students are the absolute highest priorities of Denver Public Schools,” district spokesman Scott Pribble said.
Pribble praised the students who came forward and the staff members who reported the allegations, noting that the district remains committed to maintaining safe and professional classroom environments.
According to reports, Honka is now listed as an English language development teacher at Malley Drive Elementary School in Northglenn, Colorado.
