by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer

Shawn Loftis, who starred in Gay porn films under the name Collin O'Neal, has been reinstated as a substitute teacher by the Miami-Dade school district.

His past career was not a reason to prevent him from teaching, the Florida Education Practices Commission ruled on March 9.

Loftis studied international relations with a focus on the Middle East at Florida International University and earned his master's degree in public administration at the University of Miami.

As a porn actor, Loftis combined his background in international relations with his acting skills to produce a porn travel series. He visited exotic parts of the world, filmed himself having sex with local men, and interspersed the sex scenes with travel commentary.

In spring 2010, Loftis decided to leave the porn industry to pursue his passion for teaching. That March, he sold his 'World of Men' website to a Canadian company.

In April 2010, he began substitute teaching in Florida middle and high schools.

He had been teaching at Nautilus Middle School when another school employee told the principal that Loftis had been a porn actor. When school officials Googled 'Collin O'Neal,' they found the 'World of Men' website showing 'sexually explicit pictures' of Loftis with other men.

Loftis was dismissed by the Miami-Dade school district in January 2011 and his teaching credential was revoked the following April.

The school district cited their Rule 6Gx13-4A-1.21, which demands that school faculty 'conduct themselves, both in their employment and in the community, in a manner that will reflect credit upon themselves and the school system.'

Loftis, on the other hand, pointed out that his porn career was perfectly legal. He would have been treated differently, he said, if he had appeared in straight films.

Loftis went to the ACLU for help with his complaint, but a representative there turned him down, writing, 'Your case would be stronger if your job did not involve supervising children.'

The Educational Practices Commission, however, agreed that his past career was not illegal and the school did not have the authority to dismiss him on that basis.

Loftis said he hopes to use his role as a teacher to help guide students away from making the same career choices he had made.

 Share on Facebook

Share on MySpace!

    Share on Delicious

Share on StumbleUpon!