Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Michigan School Fires Popular Teacher For Saying ‘Trump Is Our President’
freebeacon ^ | JULY 21, 2020 | Chrissy Clark

Posted on 07/21/2020 11:23:31 AM PDT by MarvinStinson

A Michigan school district fired a popular high school teacher and coach after he pointed out that "Trump is our president" on social media.

Varsity baseball coach and social studies teacher Justin Kucera said Walled Lake school district officials hauled him into a closed-door meeting after he indicated his support for President Trump's speech to reopen schools. He told the Washington Free Beacon the Walled Lake Western principal and district superintendent gave him an ultimatum: be fired or resign.

"I was required to meet with [human resources], the superintendent, and my principal [on July 10]. They initially took my statement on why I tweeted those tweets and they told me they would have a decision about my future employment in the upcoming days. When they completed the meeting, I was told I had the option to either be fired or resign." Kucera said.

Neither the school district nor the principal responded to requests for comment.

Kucera said the statement that cost him his job was intended to unify, rather than divide.

"I know a lot of people are just rooting for Trump to fail, and I don't think that anybody should do that," Kucera said. "Agree with him or not, you should want the president to do well. I apologized that [my tweet] brought so much negative attention, but I'm not sorry for what I said."

Kucera was a popular figure at the high school before the episode, according to parents and former teachers. Even his detractors lauded him on social media as they condemned the tweet. One student said she would need to find a new "favorite teacher" after seeing the missive. Multiple sources said that the teacher never brought politics into the classroom.

Bryant Hixson, a recent Walled Lake Western graduate, said his political views have no impact on how he views his coach and teacher.

"Prior to Mr. Kucera's tweet, I cannot recall an instance where he shared his political affiliations while teaching or coaching," Hixson said. "My political views have no impact on how I feel towards Mr. Kucera. Mr. Kucera has always been supportive of me as my AP World History and student leadership teacher and as my baseball and basketball coach."

A parent of two Walled Lake Western boys told the Free Beacon—on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution—that Kucera was an apolitical figure who coached his son in baseball and basketball and taught his sons AP History and student leadership.

"Justin coached my son his entire high school career and also was his AP History teacher and student leadership teacher for two years. I know Justin very well," the parent said. "If there's one thing that I would commend Justin for is, he always tried to stay apolitical. He always tried to stay right down the middle, avoid [political] conversations, and let the students make their own call based on their own life experiences." The father of two believes Kucera lost his job because administrators caved to a mob that had little to do with the school district.

Other Walled Lake teachers have expressed their political views without any repercussions. Paulette Loe, a now-retired Walled Lake Western teacher, encouraged students to read an article from The Atlantic about "how to beat Trump" while still employed. Nicole Estes, a kindergarten teacher in the district, called Trump a "sociopath" and a "narcissist" on Facebook in 2016 and is still employed at Keith Elementary School. Neither Loe nor Estes responded to requests for comment.

The teachers' union representative that accompanied Kucera at the meeting did not respond to a request for comment.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: alihamka; bryanthixson; education; justinkucera; keithelementary; michigan; nicoleestes; pauletteloe; theatlantic; trump; walledlake
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last
To: MarvinStinson

snowflake students got pissed because he said in a post that ‘liberals suck’- He deleted the post- but later apologized for it to staff members at the school- but they made his life miserable, then he gets fired for support for Trump-

Sue the crap out of the school- They allow all kinds of anti-Trump crap- but not pro trump?


21 posted on 07/21/2020 11:31:38 AM PDT by Bob434
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 1Old Pro

Those take time and money.


22 posted on 07/21/2020 11:32:02 AM PDT by Pikachu_Dad ("the media are selling you a line of soap)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool

There’s always more to these stories. Unfortunately, these days you’ll only get one side depending on the source.


23 posted on 07/21/2020 11:32:12 AM PDT by thefactor (yes, as a matter of fact, i DID only read the excerpt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MarvinStinson

We truly are in a war for our cultural sanity. This could result in a wrongful termination lawsuit if that’s all he said.


24 posted on 07/21/2020 11:32:51 AM PDT by A Navy Vet (I'm not Islamophobic - I'm Islamo nauseated. Also LGBTQxyz nauseated)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thefactor

see my previous post


25 posted on 07/21/2020 11:33:04 AM PDT by Bob434
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: MarvinStinson

Down to small town school districts...that’s how far the communist wormss have penetrated.


26 posted on 07/21/2020 11:33:36 AM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Thanks Marv. This is blatantly illegal, and not only must he be reinstated, the jackoffs responsible for his termination should be given the same option they gave him -- resign or be terminated.

27 posted on 07/21/2020 11:33:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MarvinStinson

Not a big fan of wrongful termination suits but if I ever saw a case for a wrongful termination suit, this is it. I would probably also sue the superintendent , personally and individually, for acting outside the scope of his authority, for violation of his civil rights of free speech and expression.


28 posted on 07/21/2020 11:34:18 AM PDT by chuckee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

For context, Walled Lake is a middle class mostly white community just northwest of Detroit.


29 posted on 07/21/2020 11:34:47 AM PDT by gibsonguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Vision

I would think this is the best recourse, a lawsuit... What did he do wrong?


30 posted on 07/21/2020 11:34:56 AM PDT by rovenstinez (T)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Vision
Wrongful termination lawsuit.

Leftist judge will rule:

No case for the teacher. But school system is owed money in damages by the teacher for false pretenses in not revealing he was secretly a Trump radical when hired. That held district up to ridicule. His salary will be paid back or he goes to jail.

31 posted on 07/21/2020 11:35:36 AM PDT by frank ballenger (End vote fraud,harvesting,non-citizen voting & leftist media news censorship or we are finished.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Vision

A charter school will snatch him up....after his lawsuit of course.


32 posted on 07/21/2020 11:35:40 AM PDT by Salvavida
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Vision

My daughter is a teacher. She has taken herself completely off of social media. Eyes and spies are everywhere.


33 posted on 07/21/2020 11:35:44 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MarvinStinson
Not surprised unfortunately.

The entire education system needs to be completely vdismantled and rebuilt from scratch.

34 posted on 07/21/2020 11:36:49 AM PDT by Pajamajan ( Pray for our nation. Thank the Lord for everything you have. Don't wit. Do it today.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MarvinStinson

Start suing NOW.


35 posted on 07/21/2020 11:37:20 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MarvinStinson

If Biden wins, I’m next. See tag line.


36 posted on 07/21/2020 11:37:21 AM PDT by 4Liberty (As a conservative college professor IÂ’ll pro'ly be fired & then killed soon. Been nice knowing you!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bob434

You’d think these “writers” would give us the entire f’ing story. You literally cannot trust anything that’s written these days. Why not just give us the whole story instead of insulting our intelligence? I hate these blog sites almost as much as I hate the major sites.


37 posted on 07/21/2020 11:38:33 AM PDT by thefactor (yes, as a matter of fact, i DID only read the excerpt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: MarvinStinson

Lawsuit time. The Left does it every time even IF there is more to the story as some here think there might be. Time to fight fire with fire.


38 posted on 07/21/2020 11:39:19 AM PDT by Stravinsky (Politeness will not defeat the Marxist revolutionaries)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool
Alternative rationals are being manufactured right now.

It will be interesting to see the district's legal departmen s handy work.
39 posted on 07/21/2020 11:39:35 AM PDT by John 3_19-21
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: wally_bert

Dude! I had to use Google (hate it) to find out what phb was. Dilbert reference now understood, that was funny.


40 posted on 07/21/2020 11:40:02 AM PDT by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-97 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson