Education

Teachers who stomped American flag, Jesus are officially no longer teaching

Font Size:

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger. And, as two educators have recently learned, it’s also generally good advice to avoid stomping on Jesus and the American flag in public schools.

The Florida Atlantic University instructor who asked students to step on the word “Jesus” has been placed on administrative leave on the same day that the high school teacher in South Carolina who stomped on an American flag in front of his students way back in December finally resigned.

The incident in South Carolina first flared up when Scott Compton, an honors English teacher at Chapin High School in Chapin, S.C., was placed on long-term administrative leave after he threw an American flag on the floor and stomped on it in front of his students.

Compton allegedly repeated the unpatriotic deed three times in one day. His goal, apparently, was to teach students that the flag is merely a symbolic piece of cloth. (RELATED: South Carolina teacher on leave for stomping on American flag in front of class)

Compton was already fired, reports The State, a regional newspaper. However, he had been fighting his termination until Friday, when he formally agreed to resign.

“Both Mr. Compton and the District agree that his resignation is at the best interest of everyone,” a joint press release announced.

Compton’s attorney, Darryl Smalls, had previously noted that Compton was nominated for Chapin High School’s teacher of the year several times prior to the flag-stomping kerfuffle.

At Florida Atlantic, communications instructor Deandre Poole is now on administrative leave after junior Ryan Rotela, a devout Mormon, was suspended from class because he complained about Poole’s Jesus-stomping assignment. (RELATED: Florida Atlantic Univ. student claims he was suspended for not stomping on Jesus [VIDEO])

School officials expressed concerned about Poole’s physical safety after he allegedly received death threats and racially-tinged messages on his voicemail. Poole is black.

“I’ve never seen anything like it on campus, the vitriol that has been released on this guy,” Chris Robe, assistant professor of communications and faculty union president, told the Sun Sentinel.

In an email to The Daily Caller, Lisa Metcalf, an FAU spokeswoman confirmed Poole’s employment status.

“As a result of the reaction to a recent exercise in Dr. Poole’s intercultural communications class, the instructor’s personal safety has been compromised,” Metcalf wrote. “Dr. Poole will not teach any classes, conduct office hours or be present at any of FAU’s campuses or sites.”

The announcement comes after FAU already issued a groveling, nearly-touching apology and Florida Gov. Rick Scott blasted the school as “intolerant to Christians.” (RELATED VIDEO: Florida Atlantic issues new groveling apology over Jesus-stomping)

Follow Eric on Twitter

Eric Owens