A substitute teacher at Central Decatur was reportedly escorted out of the building on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the week the substitute teacher asked students to divide on two sides of the room based on their political beliefs.
The Iowa Standard was told the substitute teacher did this in multiple seventh and eighth-grade classes.
In addition, the substitute teacher allegedly shared her own opinions about how she doesn’t care for Republicans and hates President Donald J. Trump. Multiple sources have said the substitute teacher told students they could not wear Trump apparel or shirts that read “Let’s Go Brandon.” Meanwhile, the teacher carries a cup around with pride flags on it.
“Having your own views is one thing,” one source close to the situation told The Iowa Standard. “Throwing them at students who haven’t even had a chance to develop a strong opinion yet is crossing boundaries. That’s a student’s parents’ responsibility — never a teacher nor staff member.”
A handful of parents with students in the classes shared concerns about what took place. In addition, a couple of students were reportedly recording the teacher and were told what they were doing is illegal, according to another parent.
On Monday, Central Decatur Community School District released the following statement:
“Last week, after reviewing student concerns, Central Decatur Community School District removed a long-term substitute teacher from their assignment as a result of sharing personal political beliefs with students that were not related to the content of the lesson.
Per Board of Education policy, district employees are prohibited from engaging in political activity while serving in an official capacity. After reviewing the activity in question, district administration determined that the substitute teacher had violated board policy in their interactions with students.
Our focus remains on ensuring a welcoming and positive learning environment for each and every one of our students and staff and are committed to ensuring all are afforded this priority.”
