An administrative law judge has recommended the dismissal of a teacher at Northeast Early College — a high school in the Denver Public Schools district — after finding classroom activities and personal disclosures to students amounted to “incompetence and neglect of duty,” setting up a final vote by the school board.

After meeting in executive session Wednesday, the DPS Board of Education unanimously voted to accept the dismissal of Jennifer Honka, a French teacher.

They could have rejected the April 30 decision by Judge Keith J. Kirchubel.

The board’s action came without public discussion.

According to Kirchubel’s decision, students felt pressured and uncomfortable during classroom skits that included “same-gender” kissing scenarios while acknowledging Honka did not literally force students to kiss.

“Regardless of whether Respondent ‘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 in his decision. “They were also forced to determine whether they were comfortable dissenting from the direction of the script to their teacher, who was in a position of control over the situation.”

Scott Pribble, DPS spokesperson, said Honka has been on leave since a Feb. 27, 2025 complaint. Her paid leave ended in December, though she remained employed while the dismissal process played out.

Honka defended her actions, saying students could have opted out.

But her classroom rules included this policy: “The answer is always ‘yes’ in this class.”

According to the investigation, Honka defended her classroom policy using examples such as, “Should you put your phone away?” or “Are we always respectful?”

At the heart of the issue, as the judge saw it, wasn’t using skits to teach students French, but her choice of scripts, which included same-gender kissing.

Honka told investigators that she did not recall invoking the policy during a skit.

The hearing was held in March.

Honka — who has taught for 24 years, eight at Northeast Early College (NEC) — taught French Language and Culture. She had previously received strong evaluations, including multiple “distinguished” ratings, before the incidents at issue in the complaint emerged.

Located in the Montbello neighborhood in the far northeast, NEC has a partnership with the Community College of Aurora that gives students the opportunity to graduate with up to two years of free college credit.

The investigation also uncovered other details that disturbed district officials.

This included personal disclosures about suicidal ideation, childhood abuse and conceiving her son through IVF using a sperm donor.

“Respondent shared with students an impulse she had to ‘drive in front of a semi-truck’ to commit suicide,” the judge wrote.

Honka argued that the district targeted her because of her union activity and homosexuality, a claim the judge ultimately rejected.

Kirchubel also noted the campus environment appeared welcoming toward LGBTQ staff and students.

The decision appears to reflect the tension around Honka’s sexual identity, including references to students’ reactions and outreach to staff supportive of LGBTQ individuals in the school community.

The students who complained about the classroom skits “did make some reference to Respondent’s LGBTQ status, but not in ways that overtly indicated negative bias,” the judge found.