Mesa Public Schools said it is looking into the incident.
On Tuesday, the teacher told 12News they dressed up that way for Halloween spirit week. The teacher explained that the theme was “dynamic duos” and that a teacher next door dressed as an angel.
“Participating in spirit weeks is a way for me to connect with my students and make class fun,” the teacher said. “It’s honestly nothing more than that.”
However, Hamlet said he felt insulted by the costume due to his religious beliefs.
“I said, ‘Don’t do that to me,’ and I pushed [the pitchfork] away maybe three or four times, but he kept doing it,” Hamlet said.
Nathaniel then told his father, Chris Hamlet, a former Mesa school board candidate, about what happened. Chris said he reported it to the school’s principal.
“I was really upset because I’m a Christian too,” Chris Hamlet said. “The main issue for me is, the teacher kept doing it even when my son asked him to stop.”
The next day, Nathaniel said the teacher was not in class and hasn’t returned since. Mesa Public Schools said the teacher is now on paid administrative leave.
A spokesperson for Mesa Public Schools gave 12News a statement on the incident:
“Mesa Public Schools administration was notified of the alleged incident late Wednesday afternoon. Our Human Resources department started investigating Thursday morning and put the teacher on paid leave. The investigation is still ongoing.”
Some parents picking up their kids from school on Monday told 12News that while they don’t agree with what the teacher did, they feel that firing him might be too extreme.
Father Prioritizes Dog Over Son: Chooses to Carry Pet Instead
A father’s decision to carry his dog instead of his son has sparked a viral curiosity. A woman recorded the unusual scene from her car and published the video on her TikTok account.
While driving, Luz Elena captured a video of a man carrying his dog in one arm while holding his son’s hand in the other — sparking an online debate about family priorities.
“When your priority is your dog, not the child.” She wrote.
Despite being originally posted in May 2022, this touching video has recently gained popularity on social media with over 4 million views and 5,000 comments.
The overwhelming majority of users came out in defense of the man’s decision, with one writing, “If his leg’s hurt, the child has good tennis shoes.” It’s clear that this father’s love for his dog and his son are both equally important to him.
Men love their pets. No question about that! Check out more articles where people’s admiration for their fluffy loved ones has gone through the roof:
Preview photo credit lega819 / TikTok
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