Loftis/O'Neal Can Teach in Florida Again

ORLANDO, Fla.—An education commission in Orlando has ruled that Shawn Loftis, who was fired as a substitute teacher last January by the Miami-Dade Public School system after it learned of his career in porn as gay performer/director Collin O'Neal, can once again teach in Florida. The decision came after Loftis was allowed to give a 10-minute presentation to the Florida Education Practices Commission in Orlando explaining why he should be allowed to teach again. According to a local news station, Loftis said he plans to "use his experiences from the porn industry to help keep young people on the right path." Of his original firing, Loftis said, "One day I get a phone call from Miami-Dade County Public Schools telling me not to go into work the next day because I was found out to be involved in the adult entertainment business." Though the commission said Loftis can now apply to teach full time, he will also have to remain on probation for two years, during which time the school district will presumably be keeping an eye on him to make sure he is not making porn anymore, though how that will be done is anyone's guess. Collin also garnered publicity in 2009 when it was reported that he was also working as one of CNN's citizen journalists. Photo: Shawn Loftis, aka Collin O'Neal, on a CNN iCitizen broadcast in 2008.