A Cherokee County high school teacher who told students they couldn’t wear a “Make America Great Again” T-shirt during class last week is no longer teaching the math class, the principal said Friday.
Lyn Orletsky was seen on a viral video telling at least two River Ridge High School students that wearing the slogan made popular by President Donald Trump was like wearing a swastika.
The school district quickly apologized and said while disciplinary action against Orletsky wouldn’t be disclosed, the students weren’t in trouble.
“Her actions were wrong, as the ‘Make America Great Again’ shirts worn by the students are not a violation of our school district dress code,” Cherokee County Schools spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby said at the time.
Orletsky asked the students to turn their shirts inside out for the duration of her class, according to a petition at Change.org.
“This type of ignorance should not be tolerated in our community and goes against the ethics that we as Americans come to expect,” the petition, which had 625 signatures as of Monday, stated.
River Ridge High School Prinicpal Darrell Herring sent the parents of Orletsky’s students a letter Friday, announcing she was not teaching their children, “effective immediately.”
Herring told parents the school assigned a substitute teacher and would continue to search for a new, permanent math teacher.
The school system would not say if Orletsky was fired.
“We can’t discuss ongoing administrative investigations or disciplinary action,” a statement said. “When a teacher resigns or is recommended by the Superintendent for termination, it is added to a School Board meeting agenda, which is a public record. The agenda can be amended at any time.”
In other news:
About the Author
