The teacher who told students that military service members are the “lowest of our low” was fired from his position. Video of the classroom rant, complete with profanity and borderline threats against pro-military students was first posted in January.
“His comments do not reflect what we stand for, who we are,” said El Rancho Unified school board president Aurora Villon, via the Los Angeles Times. She added that “the classroom should never be a place where students feel that they are picked at, bullied, intimidated.”
Teacher Gregory Salcido caused an uproar after comments he made in class directed at a student wearing a Marines shirt were secretly recorded and spread on the internet, NTD reported.
In the recording, he repeatedly calls military servicemen “dumb [expletive].” He also ridicules a student looking forward to joining the military and tells him not to, and to not wear military clothes in his class. Salcido’s manner of speech can be perceived as bullying, urging his students to accept his views and ridiculing those who hold pro-military perspectives.
“They’re not like high-level thinkers, they’re not academic people, they’re not intellectual people. They’re the lowest of our low,” Salcido said about people who join the military, in the recording.
Ryan Saavedra shared a clip of the termination announcement via Twitter.
“Last month the El Rancho Unified School District was swamped with controversy as the result of bullying anti-military service statements made in class by an El Rancho High School teacher that went viral on the internet,” Villon said, at the school district meeting on March 20.
Villon told the crowd that “the superintendent has recommended disciplinary action including termination” but “the teacher will remain on unpaid leave pending any appeal.”
The decision was accompanied by applause.
News of the teacher’s rant spread around the country, even reaching White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.
“Well I think the guy ought to go to hell. I just hope he enjoys the liberties and the lifestyle that we have fought for,” said Kelly after hearing a clip of the recording, via Fox News Radio.
On Feb. 13 Salcido attended a Pico Rivera city council meeting. He faced heavy criticism from civilians in attendance, and fellow council members passed a resolution calling for Salcido to resign his city council position. He refused. The council doesn’t have the power to remove him from office but are engaged in a recall effort, KCAL reported.
“If he had any respect for himself he should resign. The community does not like what they’ve heard. The nation does not like what [it has] heard,” said fellow council member David Armenta.
Colin is a New York-based reporter. He covers Entertainment, U.S., and international news. Besides writing for online news outlets he has worked in online marketing and advertising, done voiceover work, and has a background in sound engineering and filmmaking. His foreign language skills include Spanish and Chinese.
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