A middle school teacher in Rhode Island is under investigation for reportedly tweeting that she will pay people infected with the coronavirus to cough on President Trump.
The Woonsocket School Department is investigating an unidentified teacher’s tweet that read, “Somebody with Covid-19, I will pay you to cough on #Trump.” The account has since been deleted, but subsequent posts show the user identified herself as a teacher at Villanova Middle School, according to NBC 10 News.
The teacher is currently on administrative leave and has no contact with students as the school investigates. School Committee Chairman Paul Bourget called the situation a “serious matter” and expects a decision by Wednesday.
“If this thing pans out, if it’s true she did it, then we’ll take appropriate action,” he said.
Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green added, “It is unprofessional and sends the wrong message during a time when our whole education community is setting a national example. This is not acceptable and certainly not representative of the overwhelming majority of RI teachers.”
