A public high school teacher in Newport Beach has been removed from the classroom after posting a controversial TikTok video.
In the video, the teacher gives this explanation for not having the American Flag in her classroom.
"I took it down during COVID,” the teacher said, whispering as she added, “because it made me uncomfortable.”
In the video, she went on to say that she had packed away the flag during the pandemic and had not yet been able to find the flag and bring it back to the classroom.
But she does have a rainbow flag, signifying LGBTQ Pride so she suggested they pledge to that. "My (student) today goes, 'Hey, it's kind of weird that we just stand and we say it to nothing. ... In the meantime, I tell this kid, 'We do have a flag in the class that you can pledge your allegiance to.'
"And he like looks around and goes, 'Oh, that one?'" Pitzen imitated her student pointing to the rainbow Pride flag.
A former marine who used to work in the Newport Mesa Unified School District told CBS-2 the video is troubling.
"There's no reason for any teacher at any point - especially in the environment right now, the way that things are in Afghanistan," he said. "Put that aside. It should never happen under any circumstance."
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The school district told ABC 7 it takes matters like this seriously.
"Showing respect for our nation's flag is an important value that we instill in our students and an expectation of our employees," Annette Franco, a spokesperson for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, said. "The teacher is no longer in the classroom. We follow due process and our investigation continues."