A Florida middle school teacher has been put on leave after filming a skit where white students bowed down to black students and using kids as “political props” to protest state government policies.
English teacher Ethan Hooper, who teaches at Howard Middle School in Orlando, has been put on leave after making several politically charged videos featuring his students.
In one clip about black history month, Hooper films as white middle school girls act as servants for three black girls, taking off their jackets, hand feeding them snacks, and even kneeling in front of them while bowing down to their peers.
But the video is just one of several politically charged skits made by Hooper. In another, he mocks a recent decision by Gov. Ron DeSantis to rid schools of books that contain violence, pornography, and other inappropriate material. In the clip, Hooper goes up to students one by one and tells them that they aren’t allowed to read various books, including Harry Potter, Holes, and several others.
In a follow-up video also mocking the state policy, Hooper dons a “black teachers matter” shirt and walks down a line of students and tells them that they are no longer allowed to read the dictionary.
In yet another video, several students are at a mock detention where Hooper has the students recite the phrase “I shall not read books,” “books are bad,” and “if I read, it’s approved by the feds” before then finding a student hiding in another room reading a book.
Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Maria Vazquez condemned Hooper’s actions in a statement, saying “I am appalled at the behavior and judgment of the teacher who posted the inappropriate videos using his students as political props.”
“This is not free speech — it is the exploitation of our students for political purposes and it will not be tolerated in our school district,” she added.
The school district’s Media Manager Michael Ollendorf stated that “Any employee of who creates videos or other content with students in an effort to exploit them for political purposes will be immediately removed from the classroom, placed on administrative leave and swift action will be taken to terminate employment.”
Spencer Lindquist is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerLndqst and reach out at slindquist@breitbart.com.
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