A teacher at Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, New York, was ousted after helping students start a Club America chapter — the high school division of Turning Point USA, founded by slain conservative icon Charlie Kirk.
Jennifer Fasulo, a Spanish teacher at the high school in a suburb outside of Syracuse was placed on a paid leave of absence in late January, just weeks after she agreed to help students establish a Club America chapter, her supporters say, according to a report by the New York Post.
“The District can confirm that a staff member has been placed on paid administrative leave while a matter is under review,” the Baldwinsville Central School District told parents and staff in a February 10 letter, after receiving “a number of media inquiries.”
“We are following established administrative and legal procedures, and we are unable to comment further or share additional details at this time,” the school district added.
The Baldwinsville Central School District went on to say that while it “cannot discuss or comment on specific personnel or student matters, we want to assure our community that the wellbeing of our students, staff and families remains our highest priority.”
“The District is firmly committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for every individual,” the school district said. “Our policies, practices, and values reflect our belief that all members of our school community deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”
Students rallied in support of Fasulo, creating a petition that declaring the teacher “is currently facing discrimination for her spiritual and political beliefs,” and called for her to be reinstated.
“She has been put on administrative leave and is pending termination,” the petition reads. “We believe no educator should be punished for their personal beliefs.”
“Please sign this petition to show support and help us get Mrs. Fasulo back where she rightfully belongs,” the petition, which collected more than 2,300 signatures as of Sunday, added.
During a February 9 board meeting, Club America President Jerry Dygert said Fasulo “is being targeted not because of her performance, but for her political beliefs,” New York Post reported.
“Our club exists to promote political understanding through civil discourse, removing the one teacher who best embodies those values puts that mission in serious jeopardy,” Dygert said.
Another student added, “My classmates and I are confused as to why she is not in class,” calling the teacher “a mentor” with “wisdom and compassion” that is “unmatched.”
Woke parents, meanwhile, reportedly called for Fasulo to be terminated for good, with one oddly describing Turning Point USA as “terrifying.”
Another community member referred to the Turning Point USA high school division as an “organized hate group,” and bizarrely compared Club America to the Ku Klux Klan.
“Organized hate groups have no place in our public schools. Would you want a KKK chapter, a neo Nazi bund?” the parent reportedly said.
Republican State Senate candidate Caleb Slater, who met Fasulo through his church community, said the teacher is being used as a sacrificial lamb to dissuade conservatives from starting clubs at their schools, which are littered with pride flags.
“These are students who asked for this organization to be founded, not parents or teachers,” Slater said.
For context, students seeking to start a club on campus must find a faculty member to agree to be their adviser in order to obtain official recognition at their school.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
Read the full article here