Teacher threatened after ‘Trump Against American Values’ assignment, TX district says
A Texas teacher was the target of death threats a Houston-area school district received after one of her reading assignments made it onto a state lawmaker’s Facebook page, the Houston Chronicle reported.
“A 7th grade teacher in Goose Creek ISD gave students an assignment of reading an essay named ‘Trump Against American Values’ in an effort to teach them ‘inference,’” Texas State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R–Deer Park, wrote on Facebook.
Cain posted a photo of the reading assignment, which included two multiple-choice questions. One of the questions asks the reader which of the author’s conclusions they most agree with. The options were:
A. Americas future is in great danger
B. American leaders should promote equality
C. Donald Trump should not be president
D. Donald Trump will not be able to change.
“This individual has violated the sacred trust that every parent has with the State of Texas when they send their child into a public school,” Cain posted on Tuesday afternoon. “They have lost the privilege of being in a classroom with Texas children, and forfeit the title of teacher. No teacher should attempt to indoctrinate a child to their ideology, no matter who is in the White House.”
About nine hours later, Cain provided an update. He said the school district had already “taken corrective action” regarding the essay prior to his Facebook post.
“It is our understanding the he and his administration have done all that state law allows them to do at this time,” the post says. “Superintendent (Randal) O’Brien is and remains the right man for the job.”
Nonetheless, many people called with threats, according to a written statement from the school district provided to KHOU.
“We received many calls at the district following the issue of a media release and social media post that told part of the story and did not reflect the fact that the matter had been resolved within the district,” the statement says, according to KHOU. “Many of those calls were deeply disturbing and threatening in nature.
“While we all agree that the particular passage should not have been used, the teacher made a simple error in judgement (sic) and had no ill intent. Like all of us, teachers are human and make mistakes from time to time,” it continued.
Goose Creek ISD said the essay “was part of series of 10 passages designed to help students practice inference and point of view, both of which are part of the STAAR test,” according to KTRK. “Clearly the teacher did not use good judgment or did not review the materials that she received from an outside source thoroughly.”
The reading passage will no longer be used in that district, the statement says, and “the matter was addressed with the teacher.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2019 at 1:22 PM.