Teacher placed on leave for Klan mask meme
By Nancy Gaarder
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OMAHA, Nebraska (Omaha World-Herald) — An Elkhorn Public Schools teacher has been placed on administrative leave following a Facebook post that compared anti-maskers and Klansmen.
The district confirmed Tuesday that the post showed the hood of a Ku Klux Klan outfit and a medical face mask and posed the question: “Isn’t it strange they can breathe in this (the KKK mask) but not this (the medical mask)?”
The teacher’s name has not been released.
Kara Perchal, district spokeswoman, said the district was made aware of the post Tuesday morning. The teacher has been placed on leave while the issue is investigated, she said in a statement.
“Notably, the stated views were expressed on the individual’s personal social media account and do not represent those of the Elkhorn Public Schools,” Perchal said in the statement.
According to WOWT news station, which was in touch with the teacher, the teacher said someone could not be both Klansman and oppose masks without being hypocritical.
“My personal views on politics, masking, those are outside of the classroom,” the teacher told the station. “I love my job. My opinions are not part of my job. I do my job, I teach math, I teach literature, I teach critical thinking skills. We don’t talk about politics.”
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