EDUCATION + SCHOOLS
Lehi High School teacher placed on administrative leave for comments in classroom
Aug 17, 2021, 10:43 PM | Updated: Aug 18, 2021, 6:23 pm
Lehi High School in Lehi is pictured on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Photo: Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News
LEHI, Utah — An Alpine School District teacher, believed to be a Lehi High School teacher, has been placed on administrative leave after video captured them talking to their class about their hatred for former President Donald Trump and COVID-19.
The video, shared widely across social media, shows the teacher at Lehi High School having a conversation with her class. It begins with her talking about 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… It could end in five seconds if people got vaccinated,” the teacher could be heard saying.
Video of Lehi teacher goes viral
There’s indistinct chatter from the class after that when the teacher then goes on to say, “I hate Donald Trump. I’m gonna say it. I don’t care what y’all think. Trump sucks. He is a sexual predator, he is a literal moron. Go tattle on me to the freaking admins, they don’t give a crap.”
“This is a chemistry class!” one student can be heard saying.
“Turn off the Fox News, do your parents listen to Fox News? This is my classroom and if you guys are going to put me at risk you’re going to hear about it.
“Because I have to be here. I don’t have to be happy about the fact that there’s kids coming in here with their variants that could possibly get me or my family sick. That’s rude. And I’m not going to pretend like it’s not,” she said.
“I will open a can”
“Most of y’alls parents are dumber than you. I’m going to say that out loud.
“My parents are freaking dumb. Okay, and the minute I figured that out, the world opened up. You don’t have to do everything your parents say. And you don’t have to believe everything your parents believe. Because most likely you’re smarter than them.”
It appears the conversation then turns and is directed to one student in particular. From the context, it appears one of the students prompted the foray into political beliefs and opinions.
“You can believe what you want to believe, but keep it quiet in here because I’m probably going to make fun of you. I’ll just say this, here are the topics that you’ll probably want to avoid. Politics, which you went into, because you asked me… If you don’t believe in climate change, get the hell out…. That’s pathetic that you think that, you’re the problem with the world, OK.
“If you’re a homophobe, get the hell out. Because I’m the GSA faculty advisor, I love gay people, all the LGBTQIA+ mother [expletive]. If you don’t like it get out. If I hear you say a damn word against any of them I will open a can and I will make your life a living hell. If you give shiz to any LGBTQ kid in the school, I will hear about it and you will be in trouble.”
District response
The Alpine School District released a statement late Tuesday confirming the conversation happened and that they had placed the teacher on administrative leave, without referencing a specific teacher by name. They also did not reference Lehi High School.
We became aware late this afternoon of an incident that took place today in one of our high school classrooms. An immediate investigation ensued. The employee has been put on administrative leave pending a thorough investigation. This behavior is inappropriate, not reflective of the professional conduct and decorum we expect of our teachers, and will not be tolerated.
Alpine Spokesperson David Stevenson joined Utah’s Morning News to discuss what happened. You can hear that conversation below.
