A Utah high school chemistry teacher is no longer an employee of the Alpine School District after she was recorded spouting off to her students about unvaccinated Americans, her views about politics, and her hatred for Donald Trump.
Utah Public Radio (UPR) reported Thursday the teacher, Leah Kinyon, had initially been placed on administrative leave following an investigation into a student’s recording of her comments, but is now no longer an employee of the school district.
“It is unknown if Kinyon resigned or was fired from her position,” UPR reported.
KSL News Radio 102.7 FM reported Wednesday the Alpine School District released a statement confirming the teacher’s comments in the classroom and indicating she had been placed on administration leave:
We became aware late this afternoon of an incident that took place today in one of our high school classrooms. An immediate investigation ensued. The employee has been put on administrative leave pending a thorough investigation. This behavior is inappropriate, not reflective of the professional conduct and decorum we expect of our teachers, and will not be tolerated.
The district did not name the teacher nor make a reference to Lehi High School at the time.
The recording of Kinyon has been shared widely on social media.
The video begins with the teacher appearing to have a conversation with her class about her disdain for Americans who have not taken the COVID-19 vaccine.
Kinyon is heard saying to her students in the video:
Hey, well I would be super proud of you if you chose to get the vaccine. We’ll just keep getting variants over and over and over until people get vaccinated. It’s never going to end… It could end in five seconds if people got vaccinated.
Following some chatter in the classroom, the teacher is heard saying, “I hate Donald Trump!”
“I’m gonna say it,” Kinyon is heard continuing. “I don’t care what y’all think. Trump sucks. He is a sexual predator, he is a literal moron. Go tattle on me to the freaking admins, they don’t give a crap.”
After these comments, one student in the class can be heard saying, “This is a chemistry class!”
Kinyon then appears to say, “Turn off the Fox News! Do your parents listen to Fox News?” Then she is heard saying to her students:
This is my classroom and if you guys are going to put me at risk, you’re going to hear about it. Because I have to be here. 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. That’s rude. And I’m not going to pretend like it’s not.
“Most of y’all parents are dumber than you,” Kinyon is then heard continuing. “I’m going to say that out loud.”
“My parents are freaking dumb,” she is heard stating. “Okay, and the minute I figured that out, the world opened up. You don’t have to do everything your parents say. And you don’t have to believe everything your parents believe. Because most likely you’re smarter than them.”
After chatter is heard in the classroom, and it appears one student engaged the teacher on political issues, she is heard saying:
You can believe what you want to believe, but keep it quiet in here because I’m probably going to make fun of you. I’ll just say this, here are the topics that you’ll probably want to avoid in this class. Politics, which you went into, because you asked me… If you don’t believe in climate change, get the hell out…. That’s pathetic that you think that, you’re the problem with the world, okay?
“If you’re a homophobe, get out, because I’m the GSA faculty advisor, I love gay people, all the LGBTQIA+ mother [expletive],” Kinyon is heard continuing. “If you don’t like it get out. If I hear you say a damn word against any of them I will open a can and I will make your life a living hell … If you give shiz to any LGBTQ kid in the school, I will hear about it and you will be in trouble.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.