Mesa Public Schools said it is looking into the incident.
On Tuesday, the teacher told 12News they dressed up that way for Halloween spirit week. The teacher explained that the theme was “dynamic duos” and that a teacher next door dressed as an angel.
“Participating in spirit weeks is a way for me to connect with my students and make class fun,” the teacher said. “It’s honestly nothing more than that.”
However, Hamlet said he felt insulted by the costume due to his religious beliefs.
“I said, ‘Don’t do that to me,’ and I pushed [the pitchfork] away maybe three or four times, but he kept doing it,” Hamlet said.
Nathaniel then told his father, Chris Hamlet, a former Mesa school board candidate, about what happened. Chris said he reported it to the school’s principal.
“I was really upset because I’m a Christian too,” Chris Hamlet said. “The main issue for me is, the teacher kept doing it even when my son asked him to stop.”
The next day, Nathaniel said the teacher was not in class and hasn’t returned since. Mesa Public Schools said the teacher is now on paid administrative leave.
A spokesperson for Mesa Public Schools gave 12News a statement on the incident:
“Mesa Public Schools administration was notified of the alleged incident late Wednesday afternoon. Our Human Resources department started investigating Thursday morning and put the teacher on paid leave. The investigation is still ongoing.”
Some parents picking up their kids from school on Monday told 12News that while they don’t agree with what the teacher did, they feel that firing him might be too extreme.
15 Side-by-Side Photos of Celebrities and Their Children at the Same Age
The saying “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” often proves true, and the celebrities featured in this article all have children who followed their footsteps and became famous as well. The kids are achieving great results, just like their parents did when they were the same age.
Bright Side prepared a compilation of side-by-side photos of celebrities and their kids as peers. It shows not only the similarity and difference in their faces but also how the trends changed with time — some of these kids would not get the hairstyle their parents had!
Lenny Kravitz and Zoe Kravitz at age 32
Angelina Jolie and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt at age 15
Will Smith and Jaden Smith at age 23
Tom Hanks and Colin Hanks at age 42
Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow at age 42
Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson at age 40
Melanie Griffith and Dakota Johnson at age 32
Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. at age 31
Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer at age 37
Ron Howard and Bryce Dallas Howard at age 38
Demi Moore and Rumer Willis at age 28
Uma Thurman and Maya Hawke at age 22
Lea Thompson and Zoey Deutch at age 24
Carrie Fisher and Billie Lourd at age 27
Can you see the resemblance? Do you think the child or the parent looks the best?
Got some cool photos or stories and want to be featured on Bright Side? Send them all right HERE and right now. Meanwhile, we’re waiting!
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