In news that makes you say, "Are you kidding me?" a homophobic teacher went on an anti-gay rant before a class of fifth graders. The teacher told one of the students that having two dads is "nothing to be thankful for." Yes, you read that right. It happened in Utah, and the teacher, who was actually a substitute, was immediately removed, so at least there's that.
It happened during the week before Thanksgiving 2019 at Deerfield Elementary School in the Alpine School District. The students were asked a typical feel-good question: “What are you thankful for this year?” Of course all of the usual answers were given — family, friends, cats, dogs, etc. But when one 11-year-old student responded with, “I’m thankful that I’m finally going to be adopted by my two dads," that's when things took a turn for the offensive.
More from LittleThings: Mom With Same Beehive Hairdo For 37 Years Looks Decades Younger After Impactful Makeover
The teacher reportedly said that "homosexuality is a sin" in response to the student's sweet share about gaining a family. Wow, sub. You really sucked the gratitude out of Thanksgiving! Not to mention confusing some kids who are hopefully learning more about acceptance than past generations did. Luckily, these kids weren't having it.
Students in the class reported that the teacher immediately said, “Why on earth would you be happy about that?” But she didn't stop there. Oh no. She proceeded to lecture the kids, saying things like “homosexuality is wrong” and “two men living together is a sin.” She then looked at the boy and told him: “That’s nothing to be thankful for.”
Luckily, some fellow students were not having it. Three girls asked the sub to stop. When the sub refused, they left class and went to the principal's office. The teacher was immediately removed from the classroom. Cue the applause.
One of the boy’s dads, Louis van Amstel, is a former dance coach on Dancing With the Stars. He took to social media after his son let him know what happened at school. Of course, it had to be incredibly enraging to hear that a teacher — someone who is supposed to have the best interest of children in mind — would criticize this child's loving family. The news spread rapidly, and the post currently has nearly 20,000 views on Twitter.
He also said he appreciates how the other students stood up for his son. He told the Chicago Tribune, “It’s absolutely ridiculous and horrible what she did. We were livid. It’s 2019 and this is a public school.”
I mean … right?
In happy news, the boy's adoption will be finalized on December 19. So in reality, that fact outweighs the rude, obnoxious, and just plain wrong parts of this story. Hopefully, in the outrage it sparked, this teacher learned an important lesson about love, acceptance, and gratitude.
