NJ Senator: Koran Burner Shouldn’t Lose His Job

Says Actions Irresponsible, But First Amendment Protects

September 15, 2010 10:01 PM

(credit: AP)

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BLOOMINGDALE, N.J. (CBS 2) – A NJ Transit worker was fired from his job after he burned pages of the Koran on his day off. While most say the burning was an intolerant act, some are questioning whether his constitutional rights were violated.

Derek Fenton was not on the job when he tore out pages from the Koran and lit them on fire. It happened at a protest near the site of the proposed mosque near ground zero, reports CBS 2’s Christine Sloan.

Soon after, the 39-year-old was fired from his job as an assistant train coordinator.

On Wednesday, Fenton didn’t answer the door at his house in Bloomingdale, where the American flag flies prominently.

But some, like State Sen. Ray Lesniak, who is also an attorney, were coming to his defense, saying his actions are protected by the constitution no matter how irresponsible.

“What he did was self-centered. He didn’t care about anyone else but himself and he put people lives in jeopardy, but it had nothing to do with his responsibilities on the job. And most importantly, it’s protected by the First Amendment,” said Lesniak, D-Union County.

NJ Transit, however, disagrees, and said in a statement: “Mr. Fenton’s public actions violated NJ Transit’s code of ethics. NJ Transit concluded that Mr. Fenton violated his trust as a state employee and therefore was dismissed.”

Sloan asked the agency for its code of ethics, but no one got back to her on Wednesday.

In Fenton’s neighborhood, residents had opinions, too.

“Part of being in America is that you have freedom of religion, freedom of speech. Would I burn the Koran? No, because they are extremists, yes. But there are people who follow that are not like, but should not get fired over something … I don’t see how they could have violated his rights that way,” resident Christine Gaccione said.

When asked about the burning, another person said, “It’s just paper.”

Conservative Florida pastor Terry Jones tried to burn a Koran on Sept. 11 and military officials told him it would threaten the lives of soldiers in Afghanistan.

As for Fenton, because he isn’t talking we’re not sure what he plans on doing and whether there were other issues that led to his termination at NJ Transit.

The American Civil Liberties Union said a person cannot be fired for off-the-job political expression when employed in a non-policy-related role.

NJ Senator: Koran Burner Shouldnt Lose His Job

proud agnostic

ZAPHOD BEEBLBROX ,YOU ARE A RACIST CREEP!
ahmhmad

At one time we were afraid of communism.Now we have to be more afraid of islam
sarah

He will regret of what he did,as they say burning a koran or even not caring it properly is bad luck!may god forgive him for his actions and bring peace upon him..amen!
jane

Please use the correct spelling for “Quran”….

BillAmerican

Quran, Koran — makes no difference. It will burn the same. You see, this is what we are talking about. it is just a book.

fern

@Bill
And if I could invest in a factory making American flags I would sell them to the Muslim countries, they would be made in America and employ quite a few people.

AHMHMAD

BAN ISLAM111
peter peterson

and you should be deported
Michael

Who cares about the Koran. It’s a meaningless book to non-Muslims. And no, Allah will not strike me down with lighting because there is no Allah.
Zaphod Beeblebrox

This guy is an example of a great new political force in America: WHITEY RIGHTIES
ahmhmad

Fire NJ Govt. not Mr.Fenton for doing this

FGGH

WOW, IT’S GREAT YOU HAVE THAT OPINION AND YOU HAVE MUSLIM NAME. WOW. I REALLY BELIEVE YOU ARE MUSLIM, YES.

BillAmerican

The Koran is just another book as is the Bible. It is the words which are important, not the paper. The constitution just us Americans the right to be politically incorrect and the right to burn books if we feel the need. The Koran is just like any other combustible material.

BTW copies of the constitution are on-line, burn away if you feel the need. After all, it’s your American right! Welcome to American, Land of the Free. We understand this is a new concept for most of you.

fern

I can’t afford to burn my monitor each time I see the Koran on line and I have better use for my money than to spend it on a Koran or bible just to burn it.
Nobody should should destroy the written word without punishment. Let those who destroyed a newspaper come forward and be punished.

proud agnostic

He should be given a parade down 5th. ave., and a gift certificate t Peter Lugers.

FFGG

i agree! He’s a real American hero. He shows us the best of what America has become. We should celebrate who we have become: a gang of book-burning rightwingers.

njbill

BTW, I suspect the people claiming to be muslim and saying stone him and such are not Moslems, but trolls
George Scott

Would the same punishment befit this individual if he were urinating on a train platform ? Are not they both similar ???
jtorres

I’m with Mark E. I think what he did was disgusting and I don’t condone it but I don’t think NJ Transit has legal standing to fire him. He did off-duty, didn’t he? As an American citizen, he is free to express his beliefs. That’s what protects organizations like churches, the NAACP and the KKK. I don’t think anything you believe (or don’t) should play into your employment
Jon X Jones

At first, I thought burning the Koran was wrong, but everyone in the world burns an American flag whenever they don’t like something we do. That we’re a nation of immigrants, the flag is the symbol of the US and all we stand for. Burning a Koran sends the same message back to them.
Mark E

I don’t believe desecrating religious symbols of any religion is right. All the major religions in their writings teach peace, it’s the people that read and interpret them who create the foulness.

Yes, he had the freedom to do what he did, but I don’t agree with it, nor do i agree with the response of NJ Transit OR the negative comments here like such barbaric statements suggesting Stoning.

This is the 21st Century not the 1st Century, lets all try to evolve and do what our respective religions truly espouse and seek peace.

Just my humble opinion.
Mike

extremely disgusting and disrespectful of what this individual displayed when burning a holy book of a certain faith and religion. Many people of all faiths and religions ride the PA transit system everyday, and you want this individual to continue to work for them. Good luck with your lawsuit.

fern

Ride a cab if you’re not satisfied with the service.
A book is a book nothing more nothing less.
Since men were created after God’s image we’re all Gods.

Dan Te

And yet, it’s ok for a mu-slime here to burn the American Flag.

Typical appeasement libturds at work. They never learn from that Chamerlain idiocy – just keep repeating it.
morris wise

This story should continue to be top news. It shows what can happen to an American citizen when they break no law, but do not follow what is politically correct. His support will come from conservative Republicans, but they are a dying breed without much power.
David

Derek Fenton, as an American, has the Constitutional right all Americans have to religious freedom and the right to protest. He should file a lawsuit against the NJ Transit ASAP!
z z zodiac

Good thing he did it in the US-burning a holy book in some countries would have you killed. Unless ,of course, that book iss a bible.

Samira A

Actually you get equal punishment for disrespecting a bible or torah as you would if you disrespected the Quran in a Muslim country. If you were anything but ignorant you would know Muslims believe in all 3 books.

IGNORANCE!

Anthony

@Samira A

The only one suffering from ignorance is you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Saudi_Arabia
Pilar

You are absolutely correct. Muslims also believe in Jesus as a Messenger of God. Amen
ZAHA

@Anthony

I could write Rubbish in Wikipaedia and u still would believe in everything they say. Clearly you are uneducated and the ignorant one!

Linking information from the Wikipaedia What an IDIOT you are.
fern

How about tolerance?

sam

I am a Sri lankan. A Sri lankan woman who went to an Islamic country was tortured by hammering nails into her. Sharia law says that she is a non muslim, there is no punishement to the torturer.

These uncivilized people are a menace to any society. But thanks to liberals (I used to be one) they are now ruling our society by fear.

samer

What are you talking about? Do you wanna say that Islam support such acts and behaviors. If yes I strongly advise you to read the meaning of Quran. What you are trying to say is a complete distortion of reality. Criminal people are not limited to any religion. A religion with 1.5 billion follower can’t have such sick believes. It obvious that you misunderstand the concept of civilization by labeling the 1.5 billion Muslims as UNCIVILIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fern

You’re right a couple of hundreds may be civilized.
samer

@ Fern
I won’t get down to your level and have a rubbish talk with you.

Rodney

What lopsided treatment: I cannot imagine a Muslim being sacked for habitually despising all Christian symbols and the Bible. If THAT happened there would be liberal screaming all over: ‘Racism’, ‘Religious bigotry”, etc. But those peaceful protesters did not break ANY law by expressing their disagreement with the teaching of Koran. They did not chop off anyone’s head, nor fly a plane full of people into a public structure in the name of their religion. They just tore pages from a book they consider a dangerous manual for terrorists.

nina flora

agreed
tired of it all

I agree entirely! They can burn our flag and chant “Death to America” all day long and we are not allowed to respond? This man who burned the pages of the Koran has a right to say and do what he wants on his own time. NJ Transit – if you find your employees in uniform, on the job, burning books, call me. I’ll be the first to agree they need to go. Until then, his personal life is none of his employer’s business.

Walid

We are not allowed to disrespect let alone burn the Bible or Torah because even though we do not follow it there is alot of truth in it as they are considered people of the book, the problem with the vast majority of Americans is that they are very ignorant they are fueled by their hatred. So much of the Qurans teaching is too respect your parents, take care of the orphans and alway spend your money towards the poor. Do these idiots have any clue what they are burning???

crusader

Your freking quran is just a book, it’s not like it is the printed breath of your fake prophet,muhammad.
StormsNYC

Rodney is stupid

Phil

Judgement belong to God.
Diaa

Let us all learn from the good people of America how to respect others and understand the word Liberty.

Zaphod Beeblebrox

America doesn’t seem to be on the road to teaching anyone anything except how to discredit yourself in the world to other countries. That, and torture.

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NJ Senator: Koran Burner Shouldn’t Lose His Job

Says Actions Irresponsible, But First Amendment Protects

September 15, 2010 10:01 PM

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