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Utah teacher no longer employed after advocating vaccination and telling students she hates Trump
Alpine School District said that kind of behavior “will not be tolerated.”
(Zane Storms) Pictured is a teacher at Lehi High who spouted off to her class about former President Donald Trump and the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2021. Zane Storms, a student in the class, captured the exchange on video.
By Courtney Tanner | Aug. 19, 2021, 10:34 a.m. | Updated: Aug. 20, 2021, 10:23 a.m.
A teacher is no longer working at a Utah high school after she was recorded sounding off to her students in a profane speech that jumped from former President Donald Trump to the COVID-19 vaccine, climate change and the LGBTQ community.
The video of her sharing her opinions in front of a class at Lehi High School on Tuesday was shared widely on social media. And by Wednesday morning — the second day of the new school year — Alpine School District in Utah County confirmed that she wasn’t employed there any more.
Spokesman David Stephenson said in a statement that he cannot comment on personnel matters and would not say whether the teacher was fired, only that she was not working there now. She had originally been put on leave Tuesday while the district investigated.
“This behavior is inappropriate, not reflective of the professional conduct and decorum we expect of our teachers, and will not be tolerated,” Stephenson said.
Attempts to reach the teacher were unsuccessful. The Salt Lake Tribune has decided not to name her.
The video of her address was posted online by Eric Moutsos, the leader of the conservative Utah Business Revival organization that has protested against pandemic-related health measures. He wrote: “Thank you to the student who filmed this. You’re a hero.”
The Tribune confirmed it with one of three students who captured the footage, Zane Storms. The four-minute clip from Storms begins with the teacher telling her students that she would be “super proud” if they got the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We’ll just keep getting variants over and over and over until people get vaccinated. It’s never going to end,” she said. “It could end in five seconds if people would get vaccinated.”
Some of the students push back. Then the teacher starts talking about Trump.
“I hate Donald Trump,” she said. “I’m going to say. I don’t care what you all think. Trump sucks.”
Some students giggle. A few mention former President Barack Obama. At least one asks her why she hates Trump.
“He’s a sexual predator,” she comments, noting the accusations against Trump for sexual assault. She continues: “He’s a literal moron.”
One kid can be heard responding, “This is a chemistry class.”
The teacher then says: “Go tattle on me to the freakin’ admin. They don’t give a crap.”
She urges students, too, to turn off Fox News and think for themselves. She says they don’t have to listen to their parents, including about the vaccine if they want to get it. She tells them that most of their parents are “dumber than you.”
The teacher says students not getting the vaccine puts her and her family at risk. “That’s rude,” she says. “And I’m not going to pretend like it’s not. So don’t ask me to.”
A student speaks in support, adding, “You have all the right to.”
The teacher responds: “That’s damn right.”
She then notes that they should avoid talking about politics but points to a student and says “you asked me. … You can believe what you want to believe, but keep it quiet in here because I’m probably going to make fun of you.”
She calls one student “pathetic,” too, and tells him that if he doesn’t believe in climate change then he can “get the hell out.”
Teachers in Utah are expected, under code, not to talk about personal beliefs in the classroom. The law states: “School officials and employees may not use their positions to endorse, promote, or disparage a particular religious, denominational, sectarian, agnostic, or atheistic belief or viewpoint.” The same is repeated for political opinions.
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https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2021/08/19/utah-teacher-no-longer/
Video that got her fired:
https://rumble.com/vlbwdj-utah-lehi-high-school-alpine-school-district-81721.html