as his senior year was coming to a close acanfora applied for certification to teach in pennsylvania. the question was raised by the penn state dean of the college of education, dean abram vandermeer, as to whether a homosexual could have the requisite "good moral character" necessary for certification. this issue became a subject of great campus, county, and statewide controversy, including an interrogation of acanfora by six penn state deans who made up the university teacher certification council. when the council deadlocked 3-3 on whether or not acanfora possessed a "good moral character," the matter was referred to the then pennsylvania secretary of education, john c. pittenger, for decision. with his pennsylvania status in this undecided posture, acanfora sought and found employment as a teacher with the montgomery county public schools in maryland.