Earlier today we told you about the interesting speech delivered by Harding Middle School Eighth-Grade Social Studies teacher Andrew Rasmussen. Now, we want to show you a little bit of Rasmussen’s personality on Twitter.
Keep in mind that Rasmussen is an eighth-grade civics teacher. And, also, keep in mind there are a few tweets timestamped during school hours.
Buckle up…
At 11:42 a.m. on Aug. 26 (second day of school), Rasmussen replied to a tweet about zero Iowa schools defying state law prohibiting schools from requiring masks.
“Iowa school district – a portrait in cowardice,” Rasmussen wrote.
Rasmussen called Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks an “idiot” when she criticized Joe Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal that left U.S. military members dead.
“You’re an idiot! Your buddy Trump cozied up to the Taliban. And did you want 20 more years of failed nation building paid by American blood,” Rasmussen wrote.
When someone said rural midwestern focus groups are “fascinating” and “never quite what you would expect,” Rasmussen replied:
“Always disappointingly conservative and right (wing) I’d guess.”
Now, keep in mind Rasmussen is an eighth-grade social studies teacher. He “liked” this tweet:
“The modern Republican Party exists solely to preserve racism and wealth inequality. Period.”
And this…
“I hate (Gov. Kim Reynolds) and I only wish the worst things for her.”
One more…
“I’m probably not 100 percent with Joe Biden. The withdrawal could have been done better. That’s pretty plain. But…I’m 109 percent against the fascist Trumputinist jackals nipping at his heels. (Expletive) them high and low, up and down, in and out. The enemy of my enemy is my cobelligerent.”
Rasmussen liked this tweet from Thomas Lecaque, an associate professor of history at Grand View (don’t worry, we’ll get to him later) saying that he doesn’t just think the “anti-vaxxer” parents are “bad citizens and neighbors.” He also thinks they are “terrible people.”
Did we mention Rasmussen is in charge of teaching eight-grade students about civics — which undoubtedly deals with something about Republicans and something about Democrats?
“Iowans skip thanking me and sending donuts to the staff lounge. The people you vote in to state offices tell me how little you appreciate teachers.”
In case you hadn’t figured it out, Rasmussen is in charge of teaching children about civics.
“Iowa is led by cruel mean spirited people who govern using lies. They love to kick the vulnerable and be spiteful. No one need use Iowa Nice as a term ever again.”
Oh, and he plans to violate House File 802.
“Hey Iowa GOP! I plan on teaching with the 1619 Project next year! Gonna bully me about it?”
He called open enrollment “the new segregation.”
He has a pretty moronic tweet in regards to drivers having to have a license to drive.
He calls “anti-vaxxer, anti-maskers” a crowd of “fools.”
He retweeted a post saying the problem in American democracy is there is “one fundamentally authoritarian party” and one “broadly pro-democracy party.”
While labeling people a “bully squad” he calls them “unhinged lunatics.” Takes one to know one, I guess.
He said he doesn’t want his kids “anywhere near” people protesting mask mandates for schools.
And, if you ever wondered if it’s really about “the kids,” it isn’t — at least for Rasmussen. In response to an article about anti-mask families struggling to find schooling options, he said:
“Haha! Karma gonna get ya!”
What liberal Twitter feed would be complete without the fake insinuation that since he can’t get his way politically in Iowa, he is going to move? In response to the positive poll for Gov. Kim Reynolds, he wrote:
“Well more reasons to move the hell outta Iowa if 53 percent of you approve of this shitshow.”
And no, moms and dads of students in his class. He does not want to see your children smile.
This like simply shows Rasmussen’s incredibly hypocritical, inconsistent logic. Remember, he encouraged a mask requirement for schools — which would include women.
“My parents raised me to never tell a woman what to do with her body. I heard them and still agree with them 100 percent.”
One more hypocritical example:
“If you don’t want an abortion, don’t have one. If you don’t want to marry someone of the same sex, don’t…”
Why would this not apply to “if you don’t want to wear a mask, don’t wear one?” I mean, every abortion literally ends with an innocent unborn baby dying.
And keep reading… he also liked the tweet about “the scariest white people” going to “church buildings that are actually just warehouses.”
Rasmussen is of course entitled to his right to free speech. But some of these tweets, again, are during school hours. Also, as a civics teacher, one would think there would be some sort of concern for public objectivity when it comes to politics.
His tweet regarding teaching from the 1619 Project already shows he’s willing to take his partisan politics into the classroom. And if he’s willing to be this extreme on Twitter, it would be shocking if he wasn’t also a partisan hack in school.
We reached out to the Des Moines Public School District for comment. We’ll share their response when we receive it.
