Justin Kucera; photo via Twitter
A Michigan school fired a teacher and coach for simply saying “Trump is our President” on social media.
Justin Kucera was a well-liked social studies teacher and varsity baseball coach at Walled Lake Western, but the school district decided to get rid of him over his political views.
Kucera tweeted earlier this month, “I’m done being silent. Donald Trump is our president”
I’m done being silent. @realDonaldTrump is our president ❌🧢
Don’t @ me
— Coach Kucera (@CoachKWLW) July 7, 2020
This truthful tweet triggered Walled Lake School District officials so they hauled coach Kucera into a closed-door meeting and told him to resign or he would be fired.
The Free Beacon reported:
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.
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.”
According to the Free Beacon, coach Kucera was loved by his students.
One student said she would need to find a new “favorite teacher” after Kucera was fired.
Another recent graduate from Walled Lake Western said prior to Kucera’s tweets about Trump, he can’t recall a time he shared his political views.
“Prior to Mr. Kucera’s tweet, I cannot recall an instance where he shared his political affiliations while teaching or coaching,” recent grad Bryant Hixson said to the Free Beacon. “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.”
In contrast, other teachers in the same district who have shared anti-Trump views have not been fired.
A kindergarten teacher in the same school district called President Trump a “sociopath” and a “narcissist” in 2016 Facebook posts and she is still employed at Keith Elementary School, the Free Beacon reported.
