Cerritos High School teacher allegedly leaves class after student wears MAGA shirt
CERRITOS, Calif. (KABC) -- The 2024 race for the White House may have ended, but the heated differences of political opinion are not, and now they're spilling over into the classrooms.
That includes a MAGA clothing issue at Cerritos High School. According to a parent, a teacher left her class last week because a student was wearing "Make America Great Again" attire.
"It was just a student wearing a shirt... probably for some jokes," said student Sakura Padilla.
But the teacher didn't find it funny. She allegedly posted a lengthy missive to her students, writing that it's unfair that students can wear political clothes, but teachers cannot.
The ABC Unified School District didn't provide any specifics about the case, but said students can exercise their freedom of speech within the policies set by the Board of Education and the California Education Code.
"It's different with teachers because the teachers are the ones who are there to do a job," said attorney Michael Overing, who teaches first amendment rights at USC.
The courts have ruled that students are granted more free speech leeway because they are required to go to school. But Overing says teachers choose to work at schools, and have to follow the district's rules.
"If the person is exercising a First Amendment right, they risk losing their job. It's pretty straightforward," he added.
In a written statement, the district said "... we encourage our amazing educators to use real-life issues, like the recent elections, to have meaningful and age-appropriate classroom discussions with students."
The district added it is investigating the teacher's actions. It's not clear if that teacher has returned to the classroom.
This comes after a Moreno Valley high school teacher was placed on administrative leave after a fervent, anti-Trump discussion in class that a student recorded.
Over in Beverly Hills, high school officials are now restricting students' ability to assemble in large groups after this boisterous pro-Trump celebration following the election last week.
