ROUND ROCK, Texas — A Round Rock teacher is on administrative leave after facing accusations that she mocked a student for his support of President Donald Trump.
According to the McNeil High School student's parents, who asked not to be identified to protect their son’s privacy, it happened within the first two weeks of school in an AP science class.
"She said, ‘By the way, I hate Donald Trump with a burning passion and he is a complete douchebag’ to a class full of seniors in high school,” said the student’s mom.
The student's mom said the teacher noticed several students look to her son for a reaction since he has been vocal about his support for the president’s tax plan, among other things.
The mother said that’s when the teacher referred to them as a “bunch of Trumpies.”
"She looked over and she said, ‘Oh, it seems like I have a table full of Trumpies over there.’"
She said the teacher continued to question her son about his support for Trump even though he made it clear he didn’t want to discuss politics.
"I’m not sure why she was that angry. Then she continued to call my son ‘Trumpy’ as opposed to his name," the mother said. "If she had a question, she said ‘Hey, Trumpy, do you have an answer to this,' or, 'What do you think, Trumpy?’”
At the end of the class, the mother said the teacher told her son one last insult in front of the class. The mother reported the teacher said, “Now, you're not going to fight me when we start talking about evolution, are you?”
Her son, she said, tried to return to class the following day, but it was too awkward.
"He was embarrassed. She completely undermined him, his intelligence, his belief and his opinions. All of this should stay out of the classroom,” his mother told KVUE.
The parents have filed a formal complaint against the school.
Round Rock ISD officials tell KVUE the teacher was removed several days after the incident and she remains on administrative leave. The student’s parents want her permanently removed from the classroom.
"Politics should stay out of the classroom, period,” the mom said.