Russ Zimmer

@RussZimmer

MIDDLETOWN - A Middletown teacher says he's learned his lesson: No more "profane and inappropriate" Donald Trump-related video clips in class.

Joe Ventre, a social studies/history teacher at Middletown High School South, posted a letter online Monday night saying that he is ready to close the textbook on an incident that nearly cost him his job.

Ventre had been in hot water after at least one parent complained of his decision to show a popular clip from HBO's "Last Week Tonight" that mocked presidential candidate Donald Trump.

"When (Trump) is sworn-in as president on January 20, 2017 — on that day — his opinions are going to matter," host John Oliver said in the segment, which has been viewed 24.5 million times on YouTube, "and you will remember that date because it's the one that time travelers from the future will come back to to try and stop the whole thing from happening."

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Ventre said showing that video was a lapse in judgment.

"I made a mistake by playing a profane and inappropriate video in my classroom, and am deeply sorry," he wrote in a letter addressed to "the Middletown community" and posted on Twitter. "I had no intention to cause any harm. It was entirely appropriate for parents or students to question the appropriateness of my judgment."

Ventre confirmed to the Asbury Park Press that he was the author of the letter. A parent told the Press that he said something similar to students at school on Monday.

Initially, Ventre had agreed to leave the district at the end of the school year, but he changed his mind on Friday morning and rescinded his resignation.

Middletown Superintendent William George III said he could not publicly discuss personnel matters, but did tell the Press on Friday that "there is no action regarding this employee before the (school) board at this time."

Students had swarmed Middletown Township Board of Education workshop meeting the week before to sing Ventre's praises after news of his departure began circulating.

There were plans to, once again, flood Tuesday night's board meeting to put pressure on the board, but Ventre asked that those plans be abandoned.

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"Thank you again for your support," the letter reads, "however, I implore that you respect my request to stop all postings, activities and any action planned on my behalf in the near future. ... It is not necessary to continue with this action, and I ask that you do not appear at the April 26 Board of Education meeting on my behalf — neither action would serve any useful or productive purpose."

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Here's the clip that started the controversy:

Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@app.com