Teacher who compared Bush to Hitler reinstated

Michigan native to resume teaching at Colorado school Monday.

Joe Menard / The Detroit News

AURORA, Colo. -- Geography teacher Jay Bennish has been reinstated at Overland High School effective Monday.

The 28-year-old Beverly Hills native had been placed on paid administrative leave since March 1 after a lecture he made where he compared President Bush to Adolf Hitler and criticized America's foreign policy was published in conservative media.

"We're pleased with the outcome," said his father, John Bennish. He said he talked to his son after the Cherry Creek School District reinstated him and that he is doing well.

"He's pretty stressed out, like we all are," he said. "It was an unfortunate situation and I think we can all get on with our lives now. Jay can get on with his teaching career and his life."

District officials said they were working with the family of the 10th-grade student who taped the lecture to get him back into Overland or another high school. The student, Sean Allen, has not been back to school since the national controversy erupted.

The Allen and Bennish families received several violent threats since the audiotape hit mainstream news outlets, but have not involved their respective police authorities.

District officials declined to say whether Bennish was punished in any way, citing Colorado privacy laws. John Bennish said his son didn't discuss the contents of the meeting with him because it was confidential.

Bennish said he always presents balancing viewpoints in class, but not always at the same time. His attorney, David Lane, acknowledged that was a mistake.

"Jay's teaching style will perhaps be, as some would say, a little more fair and balanced on a minute-to-minute basis," Lane said. "When you put out one side, put out the other then and there."

Bennish said he would continue to try to improve as a teacher and to encourage students to think critically.

"I will be back in the classroom on Monday and I am excited to continue to teach," he said.

The Associated Press contributed. You can reach Joe Menard at (248) 647-7429 or jmenard@detnews.com.