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The teacher who desecrated the American flag inside a North Carolina classroom told me he has no regrets and wants the student who photographed him to be punished.

Lee Francis, a first year history teacher at Massey Hill Classical High School in Fayetteville, has been placed on administrative leave while the school district investigates the incident.

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Francis admitted stomping on an American flag Monday during a lesson on the First Amendment. A photo of the incident, taken by a student, was posted on Facebook and went viral.

“Do I regret what I did? Absolutely not,” Mr. Francis told me in an exclusive telephone interview. “Would I do it again? All I can say is I did it and I stand by it.”

Mr. Francis said he has obtained legal counsel.