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The Hubbard-Radcliffe School Board held a special meeting on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. to debate the resignation of a sixth-grade South Hardin Middle School teacher called Paul Miller. Miller was caught on camera berating supporters of President Donald J. Trump. Prior to the recording, it is alleged Miller mentioned shooting Trump supporters in the head.

You can listen to the exchanges, which took place in the classroom, below. Miller allegedly told students Trump supporters should be shot in the head and sent to jail prior to students recording Miller’s words, which can be heard below. Note he starts his comments by saying he may have said something in hyperbole. Then he elaborates after that without referring to what he said previously — only noting he “should not” have said it.

Miller says he doesn’t think anybody who supports Trump “is in their right mind.”

“But, I cannot stand the man and I cannot understand anyone who supports him. If you can explain to me your reason for supporting him I might listen, but I can’t get it. I can’t get past any rational reason to support him.”

A student can be heard saying he was a good President. And then a student says Trump was a lot better than Biden.

“Whoa, whoa whoa,” Miller says. “Better how? What did he do for COVID? Millions of people died. Millions. Because he chose not to act.”

By the end of the audio, Miller is shouting at the students.

 

The child is actually engaged by Miller and singled out.

“What’d you say, Noah,” Miller said. “Hey, let’s have a serious conversation. Close the damn Chrome books, let’s have the conversation. What do you say about Biden?”

The child can be heard telling the teacher the serious conversation is over and it ended a long time ago.

“When,” Miller asks.

“When you said Biden is actually the good guy,” the child says.

Miller asks what the child means that Biden is a bad guy. And there is banter back and forth.

Initially, the district asked for the community’s “patience” as it collects facts and conducts an investigation.

Yet on Thursday, the district agreed to accept Miller’s resignation.

The superintendent of the district, a person called Adam Zellmer, cut off the one parent who wanted to provide a public comment when she mentioned Miller by name.

“Again, Carolina, I am going to have to mute your conversation as it said in board policy 205.11 that we will not address complaints of school personnel nor make comments against any person connected with the school system in public session,” Zellmer said.

Carolina apologized, saying she thought they were meeting regarding the situation.

“We are,” Zellmer said. “The item on the agenda is to discuss and take action on an employee resignation. Uh, so there is no sort of hearing or anything like that happening with the school personnel. And so again, you are welcome to share general viewpoints, uh, and any concerns with operations and program, but again you cannot address personal complaints of school personnel as that is a violation of board policy in open session.”

The board went on to unanimously accept the resignation. The district released a statement saying the district and Miller mutually agreed to a resignation agreement.

“No further information will be provided regarding the situation since it a personnel matter and privacy laws are afforded under Iowa Code Section 22.7.11a,” Zellmer said.

Carolina told The Iowa Standard her family is “disappointed” in the board’s decision to accept the resignation.

“If a student was to act in this disruptive manner, if someone is yelling and screaming, this person would be removed. This person would have consequences,” she said. “And at this point, allowing him to resign allows him to walk away and move on to his next chapter. We do not believe that’s the way everyone else would be treated. There should be more corrective action. There should be more to address the dozens of concerns people were sharing on Facebook from as far back as 1992 — people talking about his (alleged) aggressive behavior.

“We’re at least happy that he’s going to be away from our children and the school district, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get to work with children somewhere else and do this again.”

You can watch the entire board meeting below:

3 COMMENTS

  1. The students and parents affected by Miller should file suit against him, The School and each board member and his supervisors. The suit needs to be on them as individuals as well as the school as a hole. Let them pay from their own pockets, that is the only they understand !!!!

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