Local Residents Outraged At Fox After Reporter Outs Teacher’s Porn Past

Malden, Massachusetts residents are furious at local Fox TV reporter Mike Beaudet, who outed a beloved teacher and coach for his gay porn past, resulting in the teacher’s suspension, which may lead to his being fired.

Kevin Hogan, who heads the English Department and coaches the crew team at prestigious Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, according to Fox News, had appeared in three low-budget gay porn films last year, before being hired at the school. “Hytch Cawke” was his film name in movies titled, “Fetish World,” and “Just Gone Gay 8.”

What’s truly disgusting, aside from the fact that this was even considered a story by Fox to begin with, is the way Fox affiliate WFXT investigative reporter Mike Beaudet handled the story. Instead of calling the teacher, Kevin Hogan, Fox got a camera crew and tracked Hogan down — the station ran B-roll of Hogan on his cell during the day in a parking lot, then ambushed him, not even outside his home, at night. Then, on-camera, without his consent, Beaudet asked Hogan if he had “starred in any of these movies?” Fox ran the story with the title, “Porn Star Teacher.” In between, Fox ran tape of Hogan (assuming it even is Hogan) taking his shirt off and talking about making movies.

Stay classy, Fox.

Perhaps next you can track down your owner Rupert Murdoch and ask him how many cell phones his papers have illegally hacked?

WFXT investigative reporter Mike Beaudet on camera asks Hogan, “Do you really think it’s appropriate to be working with kids?,” as if Hogan’s a pedophile — which is where Beaudet is leading his audience.

Huffington Post writer Brody Brown said Beaudet interrogated Hogan, “smarmily,” and added, “the charter school told FOX 25 in a statement that they ‘value the health and safety of their students.’ That’s great and all, but how does the students’ general ‘health’ and ‘safety’ relate to the uncovering of Hogan’s past in porn?”

“Since the story first aired, Beaudet and WFXT have been heavily criticized by students at the school, who have banded together in support of Hogan,” writes Andrew Gauthier  at TV Spy, who fished out tweets from the students and included them in his story:

“Hogan is the best thing that has happened to my crew team. Students now have more respect for him due to what you did #thanks”

“It’s not like he was doing anything illegal,” one student tweeted, “he shouldn’t get fired.”

“Reporters are so fucking annoying,” tweeted another student.

Gauthier adds:

A petition in support of Hogan, who joined Mystic Valley in August, is now reportedly being circulated at the school.

While a handful of parents Beaudet spoke to for his story voiced concern about a teacher having a pornographic past, an overwhelming majority of viewers believe WFXT went too far.

“I just saw your story on Kevin Hogan and found it to be in very bad taste,” one viewer wrote in a letter to the station, which WFXT commentator Doug VB Goudie read on-air during today’s morning newscast. “If he loses his job, someone at Fox should lose their job or better yet support him going forward. It is lazy and sloppy and has negative consequences for him–it should for you as well.”

Goudie estimated that viewer feedback has been split 80/20, with 80% of viewers “against us.”

Will Kohler at Back 2 Stonewall adds:

Not only did FOX 25 and Mike Beaudet purposely invade Hogans privacy bringing up something from his past that’s legal for no other reason than sensationalist homophobia the piece insulated pedophilia in light of the Sandusky scandal at Penn State by pointing out numerously that Hogan was the school’s Crew Coach and asking parents if they they thought it was appropriate that Hogan be allowed to work with children.

Reactions on the Fox News website are extremely angry — at reporter Mike Beaudet. Aside from their own Fox poll that now puts support for teacher Hogan at 84%, there are a lot of pro-Hogan comments. Looking through the almost 400 comments, easily the vast majority lambast Fox News and its reporter.

One recent comment reads,

You duplicitous, greedy weasels. I’m all at once horrified and amused that you animals are so cynical and find your audience so stupid. Let’s call this little enterprise for what it is. You’re trying to make a couple of bucks off the sensationalism generated by destroying the life of a private citizen. Nothing brings in the ad revenue like a little tawdry gay sex, right? Yellow journalism. We’re trying to have a society here and you’re in the way. We’d all appreciate it if you’d hurry up an go out of business. I look forward to reading about this man’s lawsuit.

Another,

One has to wonder how much “investigating” Mr. Beaudet went through in preparation for his ambush. How did he even knew about Mr. Hogan’s videos? Mr. Beaudet, what was your reason for singling out Mr. Hogan for your story? How many of these types of videos did you watch for this story? Is watching these types of adult movies something you do on an average day? Should America let a TV personality with that pastime into their homes, with their kids watching? Is that behavior a detriment to our children? Perhaps next week’s story should be an in-depth look at what you do on your weekends so America can decide.

And yet another:

I’m a student at Mystic Valley Charter School and also a student of Mr.Hogan’s. He is honestly one of the best teachers at our school and is a brilliant man. I have learned so much from him in the past few months. I have the utmost respect and support for him. Those who are gossiping, speaking negatively, or jumping to conclusions about him barely know who he is. The media, specifically Fox News, had no right or reason to expose him in such manner and have done unforgivable and permanent damage to the school, especially to Mr.Hogan. People should keep in mind that the media is extremely misleading and had cut out most of the positive things said in their impromptu interviews with the parents. Mr.Hogan did not harm the students nor the faculty at the school. He came to Mystic Valley with the intention of educating students and was doing very well, until unnecessary information was dug up about him that was completely irrelevant to anything within our community. It’s absolutely disgusting that the Fox had the audacity to interfere and destroy the life and career of such a valuable teacher in such a brutal way. Fox has deprived us of the education and values he had to offer us. What Fox “investigated” had no purpose or importance to our community and to those outside the community, it simply sabotaged the life of a great contributor to Mystic Valley and its education. We all hope that he comes back to us.

Today, I’m proud of the American people. Fox News and reporter Mike Beaudet, not so much.

Fortunately, there’s a “Support Kevin Hogan, FIRE Mike Beaudet” Facebook page, with almost 1000 fans.

Fox News’ WFXT can be contacted at: 781-467-2525, or via their online contact page. “Investigative reporter” Mike Beaudet can be reached via Twitter.

One post script: The photo (above) from the Fox story was titled by someone at Fox as “Porn Star Arrest” in its URL. Make of that what you will.

http://www.myfoxboston.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=11212

Public high school teacher starred in porno movies released last year: MyFoxBOSTON.com