LEHI, Utah — A Utah teacher has been fired after a video of her sharing political opinions in class began circulating online, school district officials said Wednesday.
The teacher at Lehi High School was initially placed on administrative leave after the video surfaced, but Alpine School District officials confirmed she was let go following an investigation into the incident, Fox 13 reported.
Video that appears to be surreptitiously recorded by a student in the classroom shows the teacher criticizing people who choose to not get vaccinated against COVID-19. The video was shared online by conservative activists who have led demonstrations against mask mandates and vaccines throughout the state.
“I don’t have to be happy about the fact that there’s kids coming in here with their variants that could possibly get me or my family sick,” the video showed the teacher saying. “That’s rude, and I’m not going to pretend like it’s not.”
She can also be heard saying that most students are smarter than their parents and that they don’t need to believe everything their parents believe.
The Alpine School District, which declined to identify the teacher, said in a statement that the district disavowed her comments.
“This behavior is inappropriate, not reflective of the professional conduct and decorum we expect of our teachers, and will not be tolerated,” the statement said.
A woman identified on social media as the teacher by her students didn’t immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.
