Teacher Loses Appeal Over Craigslist Ad

The California fourth district court of appeal has upheld the firing of a San Diego teacher who was allegedly dismissed for posting sexually explicit ads on Craigslist.

Though the state Commission on Professional Competence ruled that Frank Lampedusa's firing was unjust because it had nothing to do with his teaching ability, the appeals court overruled that commission's decision.

In a 3-0 ruling, the court said Lampedusa's conduct was unbefitting a role model for his students.

The San Diego school district, where Lampedusa had taught since 1999, learned about the ad he posted in the "men seeking men" section after someone claiming to be the father of a student anonymously tipped off a police dispatcher to the ad in June 2008. According to the Associated Press, the ad contained photos of his face and genital area, asking for oral and anal sex, in graphic terms. Shortly police contacted the district superintendent about the ad, the superintendent asked Lampedusa to remove it. He was fired in November 2008 from Farb Middle School, but after he won his appeal to the commission, he was allowed to continue teaching while the district appealed the case.