by Hayley Feland
A teacher at Minnesota Connections Academy, an online public school, sent an email to eighth grade Language Arts students saying he wondered how he “could possibly come to school” following last week’s election of President Donald Trump.
“It’s the fact that it’s pushing an agenda. The Democrats are saying that it’s not happening, but it very clearly is,” Antonio Pici, a law enforcement officer and veteran, shared with Alpha News.
Pici said the email was sent to his eighth-grade daughter and her Language Arts class from Minnesota Connections Academy teacher Brian Isles (pictured above).
“If you’re anything like me, you probably also woke up to some heartbreaking news. You might feel shocked, devastated, scared, angry, and any number of things, and you would be totally valid to feel that way,” the email from Isles said, according to a copy viewed by Alpha News. “When I saw the results and noticed how many people chose the candidate who has only made our lives more difficult with his choices and legislation, my heart dropped, and I wondered how I could possibly come to school today.”
“We take today to mourn, and we get back to the fight,” Isles continued. “We remember how this feels and try our hardest to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Pici told Alpha News that he had issues with the email being sent to his 14-year-old daughter. “It’s putting an opinion and political view on them and a lot of them can’t even vote right now. It’s now showing them how to deal with diversity,” Pici said.
He was also concerned that the email could cause division within households. Pici explained that he called the school and spoke with the assistant principal. According to Pici, the assistant principal said she understood his frustrations and said the email wasn’t professional.
Pici said that his daughter’s mom also talked to the principal, who told the mom that she would make sure that their daughter has “limited contact” with Isles, but Pici said that didn’t make sense to him or solve the problem.
Minnesota Connections Academy responded to Alpha News’ request for comment regarding the situation and said it is “aware” of the email.
“We are aware of an email sent by a member of our staff to a small group of students, sharing personal beliefs about the outcome of the presidential election. We do not condone the expression of personal political opinions as framed in this email. We have reached out to the staff member and are further reviewing this matter,” said Brad Swanson, the executive director of Minnesota Connections Academy.
Isles is not listed as a teacher on the Minnesota Connections Academy website. However, Isles’ LinkedIn page says he is a current teacher there as do local media articles and Facebook posts from the school.
– – –
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
Photo “Brian Isles” by Brian Isles.
