A New York City prep school teacher is under fire after she tweeted that she was “dressing up” during a student “dress down” fundraiser for slain NYPD officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora.
Laura Lynne Duffy, a math teacher at Fontbonne Hall in Brooklyn, made the statement on Twitter Wednesday as students at the private Catholic school had a “dress down” event with proceeds to be donated to the families of the two cops killed in the line of duty last month.
“If anyone was wondering, I am intentionally dressing up today. #Abolition #BLM,” she wrote on the account, which is set to private.
Students at the all-girls school usually dress in uniform but for the “dress down” they were allowed to wear blue rather than their uniforms, according to parents.
“I am seriously thinking of taking my children out of the school,” one parent told The Post. “That was a totally insensitive remark and disrespectful to the officer, his family and every police officer that patrols the neighborhood where she works and lives.”
School officials announced they had launched a probe into the post.
“It has come to the attention of the administration of Fontbonne Hall that one of our teachers tweeted a politically charged statement in regards to today’s student led fundraiser in support of the fallen NYPD officers,” a statement posted to social media said.
“Fontbonne Hall does not endorse the personal comments of this faculty member and we will continue to advance the mission of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of all inclusive love, unity, and reconciliation within the earth community.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen officers and we remain proud of our students for the compassion they showed today,” the statement went on. “We are conducting an internal investigation of the matter and will share an update when appropriate.”
Duffy didn’t immediately reply to an email from The Post on Wednesday.
The comments and fundraiser came the same day mourners gathered in Manhattan at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Mora’s funeral. Mora and Rivera were shot on Jan. 21 after responding to a domestic call in Harlem. Rivera, 22, died soon after the shooting while Mora, 27, died from his injuries four days later.
Last weekend, another Brooklyn teacher caused a firestorm with an Instagram post that appeared to encourage violence against gathered mourners at Rivera’s funeral.
The story showed hundreds of officers on Fifth Avenue outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral with the caption: “5/30/20: NYPD SUV drives into a crowd of protestors. Ideal conditions for reciprocity.” After backlash, Coney Island prep math teacher Chris Flanigan told The Post his deleted message was “misconstrued” and he was commenting on the “vulnerability” of the crowd of cops.
