WARRENSBURG, MO (KSHB/CNN/RNN) - A Missouri school district is investigating after a photo of a man flipping off the White House went viral. Parents are complaining that the person in the photo is a middle school teacher who at the time was on a trip to Washington DC with students.
The photo was posted to Facebook, with many people commenting that they know the man in the photo is the teacher. The teacher is not being identified because he has not been charged with a crime.
The man who posted the photo, John D. Hammond, wrote that he plans to file a complaint with the local school board, commenting, "I don't care how you feel about politics or anything else, but when you are trusted to lead students and this is what is being taught...it's time you are held accountable for your actions..."
The issue has stirred conversation in the city.
“He can have his own opinion,” said Warrensburg resident Douglas Bradler. “Just, everything’s viral these days.”
Resident Paxton Russel said, “There’s a lot of controversy with who’s in the White House right now, and a lot of people are angry, but he is still the president.”
A Warrensburg Assistant Superintendent said the trip was not a school-sponsored event. He would not confirm whether the the teacher's actions were against school policy.
Resident Corey Martin said he thinks that would make a difference.
“If he’s on his own personal time, I think he has a right to express himself,” Martin said. His fellow resident A’Possny disagreed.
“Even if it’s on his own personal time, I wouldn’t be doing that,” he said.
Warrensburg school officials won’t confirm or deny whether the teacher is in their district, but they say the are looking into the incident.
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