The Woonsocket (Rhode Island) School Department is investigating a teacher accused of asking COVID-19 victims to cough on President Donald Trump, WJAR-TV reported.

"Somebody with Covid 19, I will pay you to cough on #Trump," the tweet read, according to the station:

Image source: Twitter

The user identified herself as a sixth-grade English Language Learner teacher at Villanova Middle School in Woonsocket in a subsequent post, WJAR reported, adding that the account has been deleted. The teacher's identity was not immediately released, the station said.



How is the school district responding?

School Committee Chairman Paul Bourget said he and Superintendent Paul McGee have been discussing the tweet since Sunday night and that an investigation started Monday to get "concrete evidence and a concrete determination," WJAR reported.

Bourget characterized the matter as "serious" and said he expected a decision by the April 8 School Committee meeting, the station said. He also told WJAR that the committee will likely support McGee's decision.

What did a state education official have to say?

"I was saddened & disappointed to see this tweet — it is unprofessional and sends the wrong message during a time when our whole education community is setting a national example," the state's Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Angelica Infante-Green tweeted. "This is not acceptable and certainly not representative of the overwhelming majority of RI teachers."

(H/T: The American Mirror)

