EDUCATION + SCHOOLS
Park City teacher on leave for anti-Trump lyrics
Jun 4, 2018, 7:58 AM | Updated: 10:44 am
PARK CITY — A teacher at Treasure Mountain Junior High is on leave while the Park City School District investigates complaints about a classroom assignment.
The Park Record says the teacher had the students read, out loud, lyrics from Eminem’s “Like Home,” which refers to President Donald Trump as a Nazi, an Aryan, a chump, a bigot and more.
One parent says her daughter told her some students left the class while the lyrics were being read in May.
The principal reportedly told the parent that it was part of the teacher’s poetry unit, during a lesson on bias. The teacher was planning to have the class read another poem to contrast the Eminem lyrics.
A district spokeswoman told KSL Newsradio they are reviewing the situation.
“When we have parents that express major concerns about things that are going on in the classroom that they feel is not appropriate, we tend to take that teacher out of that environment,” said Melinda Colton.
“What we are doing right now with that teacher on leave, is doing our due diligence. Making sure we give everyone the benefit of the doubt, whether that be the teacher, whether that be the students, whether that be the parents,” said Colton.
“When parents have a concern, we’d ask them first to always talk to the teacher first, express those concerns. And when it can’t be resolved, that’s when to get the principal involved,” added Colton. “Always start with the teacher if possible, and see if they can find out what truly happened.”
The school district is out for summer on Wednesday, June 6.
