Oregon teacher suspended after screaming, making obscene gesture at anti-lockdown protesters: reports
The teacher is on paid leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A teacher in Oregon was placed on administrative leave Monday after a viral video appeared to show her screaming and making an obscene gesture at a group of anti-lockdown protesters in downtown Bend, Ore.
The video was recorded on Sunday and has been viewed more than 3 million times. The woman was identified in reports as a first-year teacher in the Jefferson County School District. At one point, she told the downtown Bend protesters to kill themselves.
"F--- you! I am a teacher! I teach students! My student's families are dying!" she was heard screaming, as some of the surrounding protesters chanted "USA!"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DOCTOR ACCUSED OF DISCOURAGING CORONAVIRUS MASK USE GET SUSPENDED
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The teacher was also captured flipping the bird numerous times. She later waved and smiled at the person taking the video, before driving away.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“We are aware of the incident and are investigating,” Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Ken Parshall told Bend's KTVZ.
Parshall declined to name the teacher or state which school she worked at.
He said the teacher is on paid leave, pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the station.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Oregon is one of only a handful of states that have required at least a partial closure of schools as long as local coronavirus infections remain above certain levels.
On Friday, the Oregon Health Authority reported 2,100 cases and 30 deaths from the virus.
CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND IN OREGON MEANT TO HELP BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES EXCLUSIVELY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}That same day, Gov. Kate Brown said "the only way to end this pandemic is to continue taking safety precautions until the vaccine is widely administered." Oregon reported 1,331 new cases and 12 more deaths on Monday.
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As of early Tuesday, Oregon has totaled more than 85,788 coronavirus cases and at least 1,045 deaths from the virus since the pandemic began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The state has one of the lowest case totals in the country.
The Associated Press contributed to this report