Some area educators and students say teachers' lifestyle choices have nothing to do with how effective they are as instructors.

Others say educators are role models and their behaviors can have a great influence on young people.

These were some of the reactions to comments made this week by U.S. Senate hopeful Jim DeMint who said openly homosexual people and pregnant women with live-in boyfriends shouldn't teach in public schools.

The Greenville congressman, who faces Democratic candidate Inez Tenenbaum, said Sunday during a debate that openly homosexual people shouldn't teach and later told The Aiken Standard that single pregnant women with live-in boyfriends shouldn't either.

Myrtle Beach High senior Lane Tinker said she has had teachers who may be homosexuals, but that means little to her.

"It doesn't affect the way they teach at all," she said.

Socastee High student Kevin DeCosier said he has known teachers in both the situations described by DeMint.

It should not matter as long as they do their jobs and do them well, which they did, he said.

Many educators steered clear of commenting on the issue, preferring to let DeMint and other politicians tackle it.

"I'm not going to get involved in his political statements," Conway High Principal Rick Maxey said. "I'll leave it to the lawmakers."

In defense of his statements, DeMint said he thinks "the moral decisions are different with a teacher."

Some people agreed that teachers are held to high standards because they are dealing with young minds.

"Anybody in public life should be held to a higher standard," Maxey said. "You should model honesty and integrity."

Loris Middle Principal Scott Mercer said educators should display virtue and righteousness. "Our lifestyles do have an effect on children," he said.

Les Sternberg, dean of the University of South Carolina's College of Education, said he has seen no research indicating homosexual teachers or those who are single, pregnant and cohabitating with boyfriends have a negative influence on students.

"The key is: Are they effective teachers? Not whether they're gay or lesbian, black, white, not whether they're single or pregnant," he said. "If there's a concern about moral degradation, where is the data that says it ever takes place?"

Horry County Schools does not ask potential employees to disclose such information during the application process. Even information about a candidate's race and gender is optional, said Sallye Beth Prince, the district's personnel director.

Many who spend their time in the schools said talk of such personal issues never arises.

"How would children even know?" Mercer asked. "It's not something that would be in our curriculum."

Tinker said there often isn't enough time in class for such talks about people's lives.

Dan D'Antoni, a coach at Socastee High School, said it's important that teachers' conduct outside of school not impede their effectiveness as teachers, but, that said, it's the teaching that matters.

"If teachers are capable of teaching, that's how they should be evaluated," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact SOPHIA MAINES at 626-0377 or smaines@thesunnews.com.