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Cheshire teacher temporarily removed after political Snapchat video spreads online

Officials said due to the video's virality, the district has been "inundated" with calls and emails, mostly from people outside of the community.

CHESHIRE, Conn — A teacher in Cheshire was temporarily removed from her school after a video she sent on a social media app went viral, school officials said.

According to Cheshire Superintendent Dr. Jeff Solan, the teacher was "expressing her personal opinion and not those of the Cheshire Public Schools." They have currently not been identified by the district, but FOX61 has learned that she is assigned to special education at Chapman Elementary School.

FOX61 has not been able to confirm the contents of the video independently, but a right-wing X account claimed it posted the video and was shared tens of thousands of times. 

In a letter to families, Solan said the teacher's video was meant to be a "private message on Snapchat, but someone recorded it and posted the video to social media platforms" and that she was "expressing her personal opinion and not those of the Cheshire Public Schools."

"The person who filmed this then posted the video to social media outlets." Solan continued in the letter. "The Cheshire Public Schools is reviewing this situation as a personnel matter, and as such, we are following all applicable laws. That being said, it is immediately clear that it will be impossible to conduct business as usual for our students and staff without temporarily removing the teacher from the building, so we have done so until the outcome of the investigation."

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Solan continued to say that due to the video's virality, the district has been "inundated" with calls and emails, mostly from people outside of the Cheshire community. 

"Although we have received no direct threats to the school, we will have a police presence out of an abundance of caution," Solan said.

Fran Rabinowitz of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents said that there is "enough division" and "enough anger out there."

"I think we as public educators need to be showing people what's good in this world and how we can move forward together," Rabinowitz said.

The Connecticut Education Association, a teacher's union, shared a statement Tuesday afternoon from CEA President Kate Dias regarding the video: CEA values the right to free speech and respects the diverse opinions of our members. We know that emotions can run high after an election, and we encourage everyone to engage in respectful conversations as part of our democratic process. Keeping our discussions civil and focused is important in maintaining a positive environment in our schools. We must continue to share our views constructively while prioritizing respect, unity, and our shared commitment to educating and caring for our students.

Residents also acknowledge the division as they react to the video.

"With everything being as divisive as it is now I think it’s very important to quell things," said Cheshire resident Richard Harrington. "And I think for a teacher calling for any type of violence or condoning any type of violence is completely uncalled for."

"We all have a bad day," Judy Kopman-Fried, a Cheshire resident. "I don’t think it was something she meant for everyone in the community to see."

Cheshire police said Tuesday the department is aware of the social media post and has launched an investigation.

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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com

Angelo Bavaro is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at abavaro@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and X

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