Teachers are supposed to be role models for students and stay out of politics in the classroom.
But some educators can’t help themselves when it comes to their hatred for Donald Trump.
And one Indiana teacher made a nasty threat against Donald Trump that cost her everything.
Teacher wears assassination threat shirt on field trip to White House
Middlebury Community Schools teacher Tonja Luken thought she was being clever when she posed for a photo in front of the White House during a school field trip.
But the shirt she was wearing sent a chilling message that landed her in hot water.
Luken wore a shirt with the numbers “8647” while chaperoning her middle school’s annual eighth grade field trip to Washington D.C.
The numbers aren’t random.
They have come to be recognized as a coded threat meaning to eliminate or assassinate – 86 – Trump – the 47th president.
The sick code gained notoriety after former FBI director James Comey made a social media post containing the numbers and came under investigation for the threatening message.
So Luken wasn’t just wearing a political shirt.
She was displaying a violent threat against the President of the United States while supervising children on a school trip.
Standing right beside Luken in the controversial photo was a woman wearing a rainbow T-shirt with the words “be kind.”
Apparently being kind doesn’t extend to the democratically elected President.
School district forced to take action
When The Center Square contacted Luken about the incident, she tried to downplay her role.
“I do not think that would be beneficial for anyone,” Luken responded when asked about the shirt.
She also claimed the trip was “not a school sponsored or affiliated trip, stated in the trip registration.”
But school records tell a different story.
The Middlebury school board reviews field trips each year, according to meeting minutes.
And the school district made it clear this was a school function in their official statement.
The school district was forced to respond with a clear statement about appropriate conduct.
“Our educators should not be advocating personal political views, either directly or indirectly, to our students during the school day or while supervising students at a school function,” Middlebury Community Schools stated.
District policy “require teachers to refrain from using their position to promote partisan political views,” according to the statement.
The rules apply equally to all political messages, regardless of content or the teacher’s personal beliefs.
But what Luken did went far beyond partisan politics.
She wore a coded assassination threat against the President while representing her school district.
Teacher resigns after investigation
Middlebury Community Schools superintendent Jason Snyder confirmed that Luken “no longer works for the school district.”
The school moved quickly to investigate the incident once it came to light.
According to the district, they completed their investigation and interviewed Luken about her actions.
When school officials informed her they would begin the process to cancel her contract, Luken chose to resign immediately instead.
School officials explained that public school employment termination procedures are more complex than private sector firing.
The formal process typically takes between five and forty-five days, but teachers can choose to resign at any point rather than go through the full procedure.
Luken chose to resign rather than face the formal termination process.
Expert weighs in on teacher’s poor judgment
Erika Sanzi, Director of outreach at Defending Education, told The Center Square that Luken showed extremely poor judgment.
“This teacher could have worn this anti-Trump shirt on her own time but instead chose to violate her own school’s policy by wearing it while chaperoning a student trip to the nation’s capital,” Sanzi said.
While chaperoning the field trip, Luken’s “role was that of a government employee who speaks for and represents a public school district,” Sanzi explained.
“While we can’t know the details of a personnel matter, suffice it to say that the teacher showed extremely poor judgment in a professional setting, in front of a captive audience of other people’s children,” Sanzi said.
The incident highlights the ongoing problem of teachers who can’t separate their personal political views from their professional responsibilities.
Students deserve educators who focus on teaching rather than promoting political agendas.
And they certainly don’t deserve to be exposed to violent threats against elected officials during what should be an educational experience.
Luken’s resignation sends a clear message that there are consequences for teachers who cross the line from education into political intimidation.
Parents trust schools to provide a safe, neutral learning environment for their children.
When teachers use their position to promote violent political messages, they betray that trust and have no business being in the classroom.
The fact that this happened during a trip to the nation’s capital makes it even more disturbing.
These students were supposed to be learning about American government and democracy.
Instead, they witnessed their teacher displaying a threat against the President at the White House.
That’s not the lesson any student should learn about how to participate in the democratic process.
