Teacher Who Reportedly Screamed 'Kill Yourself' at Lockdown Protesters Pays the Price
A Jefferson County, Oregon, teacher has been placed on leave pending an investigation after she was identified in a viral video as a woman shouting at a group of people protesting the state’s coronavirus restrictions in Bend.
The video, which has been viewed over 3.4 million times on Twitter as of Tuesday afternoon, appears to show the woman in a car screaming at protesters, “Kill yourself! I’m a f—–g teacher! I work in schools! My students’ families are dying!”
She also yelled other obscenities and made obscene gestures before waving and smiling at the people videotaping her and driving away.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language and gestures that some viewers may find offensive.
#Bend #Oregon
(Earlier)
A woman confronts and shouts at a group of anti-lockdown demonstrators from her vehicle in Bend, OR, earlier today. pic.twitter.com/jBHJTa7EoP— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) December 7, 2020
“We are aware of the incident and are investigating,” Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Ken Parshall told KTVZ-TV.
He declined to identify the first-year teacher or say where she taught.
Parshall added that the investigation is in the early stage and the teacher is on paid leave, pending what they discover about the situation.
Several Twitter users responded to the video with shock and disdain.
“I am a teacher & I speak for many others when I say 1. She is an embarrassment [to] our profession. 2. She needs to get counseling, medication or both. Her behavior is abnormal,” Rochelle Wentz tweeted.
I am a teacher & I speak for many others when I say 1. She is an embarrassment to our profession. 2. She needs to get counseling, medication or both. Her behavior is abnormal. 3. Kids NEED to be in school & educated people understand the data that supports this fact.
— Rochelle Wentz (@rochellewentz) December 7, 2020
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown released new coronavirus restrictions that went into effect on Dec. 3.
Jefferson County is considered to be at “extreme risk” and the Jefferson County School District has been delivering instruction using the Comprehensive Distance Learning Model for most of the fall.
Brown’s restrictions on “extreme risk” counties will last for at least two weeks, The Oregonian reported.
“I want to stress that there is no zero-risk category,” Brown said.
“Until COVID-19 vaccines are widely available and we have high participation, health and safety precautions will remain in place so that schools, businesses, and communities can reopen — and stay open.”
Counties that have at least 200 cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks and counties with less than 30,000 residents are supposed to have at least 60 cases to be labeled extreme risk.
The criteria also list positivity rates of over 10 percent as “extreme risk.”
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