A Woodbury High School substitute teacher, who is also an off-duty patrol officer, has been banned from the school district for allegedly reenacting the murder of George Floyd in front of students. The incident occurred on Monday and involved the teacher making racially harmful comments, sexist jokes, of people he had arrested, according to a letter from the school.
The letter, which was shared by MPR News, also stated that the teacher put a student on the ground and demonstrated pressure points on his face. He also allegedly spoke about his gun collection and stated that police officers would make the best criminals. According to the school, despite not being provoked by anyone, the teacher felt the need to share details about his life as a police officer with the students.
Upon learning of the incidents, school officials responded immediately and removed the teacher from the classroom. The teacher was then escorted out of the school and has been banned from all district properties. The school is also collaborating with the Woodbury Police Department to investigate the incident.
In an interview with MPR’s Minnesota Now, South Washington County Schools Superintendent Julie Nielsen expressed her shock over the incident, stating that in her 30 years as an educator, she had never witnessed such poor judgement in a classroom. She also confirmed the existence of video and audio recordings of the incident.
The Prescott Police Department, where the teacher worked as a patrol officer, released a statement condemning the alleged actions, calling them “very disturbing, reprehensible, and inexcusable if proven true.” The department has placed the teacher on administrative leave while they conduct their own investigation.
The teacher had served as a substitute teacher in the district seven times since March 2023, including earlier in 2024 at Woodbury Middle School. However, following the incident, the third-party vendor that provides substitute teachers to the district, Teachers on Call, has fired the teacher.
As a result of the incident, all schools in the South Washington County district were closed on Thursday and Friday. The Woodbury Police Department is also conducting an independent investigation.
Despite several attempts to reach out to the school district and Teachers on Call for comment, there has been no response at the time of publication. The Prescott Police Department has stated that they will not field any more questions regarding the incident as it is under investigation by both their department and the Woodbury Police Department.
Source: SilverCircular
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