OKLAHOMA CITY – A YouTube video that features a teacher talking about drugging and sexually assaulting women has parents in one school stunned.
A student at Harding Fine Arts Academy received a video of teacher Joshua Davis, which shows Davis drinking, smoking and using foul language.
“Hand her this, put two or three roofies in there and you’re good for like 10 hours,” Davis says in the video, referring to what is commonly known as a ‘date-rape drug.’ “You just ride that (expletive) like a train. Call your homies up. It ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none.”
The parent, who withheld her name to protect her daughter, watched the video multiple times in disbelief.
“I’m not saying that teachers can’t have lives outside of school but certain things just aren’t okay,” she told NewsChannel 4. “And talking about roofie-ing a girl and gang rape and having your ‘homies’ come over so they can ‘ride the train’ isn’t okay.”
According to his LinkedIn and the school’s website, Davis worked as a graphic arts, journalism and yearbook instructor. The videos were posted in December 2014, which is about a year before Davis started working at the school, according to his LinkedIn page. But the time frame doesn’t matter to concerned parents.
“It doesn’t set a good example,” the parent said. “I wonder as a parent: does he still think those things? For you to have that much disregard for women is sickening, joking or not. Rape isn’t a laughing matter.”
The parent said she emailed the principal Wednesday night and Davis was not in school the next day.
The principal at Harding Fine Arts Academy confirmed that Davis is no longer employed there, but would not comment about the specific personnel issues. He told NewsChannel 4 that the school always pursues information as quickly as possible if concerns arise, always acting in the best interests of students.
When NewsChannel 4 reached out to Davis, he hung up the phone and did not return subsequent messages.
Social media experts say the case is proof that posts online can have consequences.
“Putting stupid things on social media can come back and hurt you,” said Mike Koehler of Smirk New Media. “Yes, you have freedom of speech but you don’t necessarily have the freedom to stay employed with a certain employer.”
Stories like this should prod people to review their posts on social media, looking for anything questionable. More and more colleges and employers are examining social media sites before making hiring or admissions decisions, he said.
“If you’re really wanting to make an impression on someone you need to go back and see what the public can see about you,” he said. “This stuff doesn’t have to be viral, it just has to negatively affect the people in authority around you.”