A beloved Spanish teacher in upstate New York has been placed on a paid leave of absence by school officials after helping students launch a Turning Point USA chapter.
Jennifer Fasulo is an educator at Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, a suburb of Syracuse.
A student-led petition demanding her reinstatement has garnered over 2,100 signatures as of February 20, declaring, “We believe no educator should be punished for their personal beliefs.”
The petition states:
Mrs. Fasulo is a Spanish teacher at Charles W. Baker High School located in Baldwinsville New York. She is currently facing discrimination for her spiritual and political beliefs. She has been put on administrative leave and is pending termination. 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. #FreeFasulo
One student praised her as a mentor whose “wisdom and compassion… is unmatched,” while Club America President Jerry Dygert blasted the decision at a February 9 school board meeting, saying, “This teacher is being targeted not because of her performance, but for her political beliefs… 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.”
Republican state Senate candidate Caleb Slater, who knows Fasulo from church circles, called her a “sacrificial lamb” in the left’s war on conservatism. He noted the irony of classrooms decked out in pride flags while a conservative club faces backlash, emphasizing that students, not parents or teachers, started the group.
The Baldwinsville Central School District has stonewalled on specifics, issuing a vague letter to parents stating only that “a staff member has been placed on paid administrative leave while a matter is under review” and that they are “following established administrative and legal procedures.
The letter stated:
“While the District 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. Our policies, practices, and values reflect our belief that all members of our school community deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We will continue to uphold these principles in all aspects of our work and remain focused on supporting a positive educational environment for all.”
While many parents and students are outraged, there are still leftists demanding that she be terminated for good.
The New York Post reports:
But some of the students’ woke parents who think otherwise want to see Fasulo out for good.
One described Turning Point as “terrifying,” because, according to their Facebook post, “the extremist mindset tends to affect boys and young men the most.”
In her post, she called for discussion about the “potential termination” of Club America’s faculty advisor.
“Organized hate groups have no place in our public schools. Would you want a KKK chapter, a neo Nazi bund?” another parent wrote.
The Gateway Pundit has reached out to the school for comment and will update this article if one is provided.
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