The California high school teacher who came under fire earlier this year after he was caught in a viral video calling U.S. troops “a bunch of dumb shits” and the “lowest of the low” was fired Tuesday.
The El Rancho Unified school board decided Tuesday that El Rancho High School teacher Gregory Salcido would remain on unpaid leave, pending possible appeals to the State Office of Administrative Hearings, the Whittier Daily News reported.
“The superintendent has recommended disciplinary action including termination of the employment based on the investigation report and supporting documents,” school board President Aurora Villon said in a video of the meeting posted online. “The board of trustees has voted to take action as recommended by the superintendent.
“Our decision has been made, our job is done and we wanted to report that to you,” Villon said, sparking applause from gathered audience members.
Salcido told the news outlet that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the board’s decision “until I am officially notified of a decision by the District.”
Salcido was put on administrative leave in January amid public outcry over his comments.
In the video posted on YouTube, Salcido can be heard repeatedly warning his high school students not to join the military and criticizing the quality of its troops, which he claimed was responsible for the long U.S. involvement in the overseas fight against terror groups.
“We all have night-vision goggles, all that kind of stuff, and we can’t freakin’ control these dudes wearing freakin’ robes and chanclas [flip-flops] because we have a bunch of dumb shits over there,” Salcido said. “Think about the people you know who are over there, your freakin’ stupid uncle Louie, or whatever, they’re dumb shits. They’re not like high-level thinkers, they’re not academic people, they’re not intellectual people. They’re the freakin’ lowest of the low.”
Salcido also warned a student not to wear a Marine Corps shirt to school.
Kelly was asked about the comments during a January interview with Fox News.
“Well, I think the guy ought to go to hell. I just hope he enjoys the liberties and the lifestyle that we have fought for,” Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, said.
A top Pentagon outreach director called Salcido’s rant “uninformed.”
