A pair of school district employees in Oregon were placed on leave earlier this month after posting a TikTok video — apparently recorded on school property — featuring an F-bomb and the duo from Newberg Public Schools flipping off what some outlets say are people opposed to the LBGTQ agenda.
What are the details?
The pair lip synch a song by Gayle titled "ABCDEFU." The lyrics audible in the clip are: "And I was tryin' to be nice, but nothing's getting through, so let me spell it out ... ABCDEFU ... and your mom and your sister and your job and your broke-ass car and that s**t you call art, f*** you."
Part of the way into the clip they both issue double middle fingers to their targets while standing in front of a rainbow banner that reads, “We believe black lives matter, love is love, feminism is for everyone, no human being is illegal, science is real" — and ironically — "be kind to all." Diagonal text superimposed near the top of video frame reads, “I don’t think that flag should be aloud in schools.”
Content warning: F-bomb and middle fingers:
Newberg School Counselors Flipping the Bird to Parents
The caption to the right of the video — from the account "crazybulldogs333" — reads as follows: "Our last video got taken down Let's see how long this one will last." Hashtags include "#schoolcounselorsoftiktok," "#dontbeanass," "#equality," "#blacklivesmatter," and "#loveislove."
What else has been reported?
According to the Newberg Graphic, numerous outlets have identified the pair as Mountain View Middle School guidance counselors Annie Bynum and Erin Dobias. The school district has not named the employees responsible for the video, however.
The Newberg School Board last year banned Black Lives Matter and Pride symbols in classrooms — a controversial decision that was later amended to forbid all political symbols in schools, the Graphic said.
What did the school district have to say?
Newberg Public Schools posted a March 14 Facebook message saying the previous week officials were made aware of the "highly offensive video made by two employees. As we stated last week, the employees were placed on administrative leave and the district immediately launched an investigation using a third-party investigator." The message added that the outcome of the probe can't be publicly disclosed.
"Language, gestures, and tone such as what was on display in the video are unprofessional and highly offensive," the message added. "Regardless of personal views, our expectation is for our employees to maintain respectful and professional communication at all times while representing the district and our community. The use of school property, even if outside of school hours, should not be used for personal expression of the type seen in the video."
What was the reaction?
Several commenters took to the "Save Our Schools Newberg" Facebook page and weighed in on the controversy. It appears most weren't happy with the video.
"The vulgarity, the obscenity, the crass, demeaning, degrading message of this 'music' is not something I’d expect professional counselors to parrot," one commenter wrote. "What kind of example is this for children? Is this really the best that public education has to offer?"
Another commenter asked, "As counselors, shouldn't they be striving to set an example to young, impressionable students? Instead, they create garbage like this on tax payer property to display publicly. This is a prime example of why I pulled my kids from NPS. I will not allow people like this to have any influence over my kids."
Not everyone saw things the same way, however. In fact, one commenter argued the following: "I work with these counselors; they are dedicated, compassionate, fun, and engaged in everything that is happening on a daily basis here at MVMS. The TikTok you’re all commenting about was made in response to a viewer who slammed them on the use of the [banner] you see in the background. This was NOT intended against our school board, our students, or our parents AT ALL. They used the middle finger and/or the F word ... lapse in judgment? Sure, but f*** really is just a word. They didn’t GD anyone, nor would they ever. Please give them grace on this ... let’s focus on the good things they’ve done and scroll past all the comments questioning their integrity. I assure you they are very good humans."
Anything else?
Newberg Public Schools made national headlines last September after an employee wore blackface to work. The culprit reportedly was a Mabel Rush Elementary School special education assistant who dressed as Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks and used iodine as a face darkener to protest a statewide vaccine mandate.
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