A Ventura, California, middle school history teacher has sparked outrage after reportedly making politically charged comments in the classroom, which were, in turn, covertly recorded by a student and released.
One mother was so moved by the reported discussion that she told a local TV station that her relationship with her son — who she said is “hurt” and “scared” — has been damaged.
What are the details?
KCAL-TV reported Monday that an unnamed female middle school history teacher at Anacapa Middle School was caught discussing vaccines, the 2020 presidential election, and other politically charged topics.
One parent, Sarah Silikula, told the station that she’s always told her son that if he ever found himself uncomfortable in the classroom, he should pull out his cell phone and begin filming whatever was making him uneasy.
He did just that — and Silikula said that her eighth-grade son came home from school with the recording and was “very upset” and confused.
“He got in the car and he was very upset,” she said. “He announced, ‘I’m never getting vaccinated. I’m never getting any more shots of any kind. Did you know Trump’s still president?'”
On the seven-minute recording, the unnamed teacher can be heard saying, “People need to wake up and see the government has way too much power right now.”
The teacher reportedly added, “Hunter Biden, for example, is doing deals with China and Ukraine where he was funneling money illegally. He also had child pornography on his laptop. He was having sexual intercourse with his own niece.”
Elsewhere, the teacher reportedly discussed vaccines.
“If you have a baby in the hospital, they don’t want to give it back if you’re not vaccinated,” the person on the recording said. “This is a complete power control threat.”
According to KCAL, the teacher also made remarks about the U.S. justice system as well as the 2020 presidential election.
The district in a statement said that it conducted an investigation into the incident and announced that it does not condone the discussion that took place. The district, according to the station, is following the “progressive discipline policy” outlined with the teachers’ union and moved Silikula’s son to another class.
What else did the parent say?
Silikula was so outraged that she was moved to tears and demanded that the school take greater action against the teacher.
Weeping, she told KCAL, “I mean, why? Why does that need to be said in this classroom full of children?”
“I trusted her to teach him the facts about history, and she went off on this rant like a preacher on a pulpit,” she insisted and said that the incident damaged her relationship with her son.
“When he first got in the car and said, ‘Dad, teachers know everything. She’s right, Dad. You’re wrong.’ He’s damaged. He’s hurt. He’s scared. He doesn’t trust his parents now. He thinks we lied to him,” she said. “Whatever anybody’s political belief is, I respect. It’s their belief. Don’t impose it on my child who I trusted in your care.”