A Spanish teacher at Cerritos High School in California reportedly walked out of class and accused a student of committing a “hate crime” for wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) shirt.
The teacher, who has not been identified, later sent a lengthy email to students expressing outrage over what they described as open support for President-elect Donald Trump. In the email, the teacher claimed the MAGA shirt was intended to intimidate both students and faculty, labeling Trump a “fascist.”
“Given the current political climate and ABC USD’s policy of neutrality NOT being neutral in the sense that students are allowed to express their political views by wearing their preferred political party attire and teachers are NOT allowed to express their political views by wearing their preferred political party attire, I am having a disagreement with administration regarding this double standard,” the teacher wrote.
The teacher went on to accuse the student of harboring “a deep hatred of minorities, women, non-Christian religions, and LGBTQ+ individuals,” asserting that wearing the MAGA shirt constituted a “hate crime” within the school environment.
This incident underscores the growing tensions in educational settings where political expression often clashes with personal and ideological sensitivities. Critics argue such actions suppress free speech, while supporters of the teacher’s stance see the MAGA slogan as divisive. The school has not yet commented on the incident.
