Obama Hung in Effigy

This is disgraceful.

A teacher at a failing school where he and all his colleagues are being fired hung an effigy of President Barack Obama in his classroom, apparently in reaction to Obama’s support of extreme measures to ensure accountability in schools.

[...]

Gallo told the AP on Thursday evening that the foot-tall Obama doll that she saw Monday was hung from its feet from a white board and was holding a sign that said, “Fire Central Falls teachers.”

[...]

She said that the teacher had been issued a “strong letter of reprimand” and that she considered it an internal matter.

Obama had called the firings in Central Falls an example of holding failing schools accountable. The White House declined to comment Thursday. U.S. Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley said the agency was aware of the doll but declined to comment further.

The president of the Central Falls Teachers Union, Jane Sessums, said in a written statement that the teacher, whose name wasn’t disclosed, hung the doll “as part of what he described as a lesson plan.”

I’m all for hanging politicians in effigy as a means of political protest.  It’s a long tradition in this and many other countries.  But for a teacher to use classroom time to vent his political frustrations is an utter disgrace.  A letter of reprimand is not good enough.  He should have been fired on the spot. 

On a side note, good for Obama for backing the superintendent’s actions.