A middle school teacher was placed on leave after he hung a Confederate flag in his classroom, the Folsom Cordova Unified School District said Wednesday. The Sutter Middle School teacher will remain on paid administrative leave while the school and the district investigate. “We recognize that regardless of context, to many of our students, families, and staff, the Confederate flag is a racist symbol of hate,” the school district said in a statement. The flag was hanging in a classroom across from a Civil War Union flag, “potentially in preparation of a history activity,” the district said. It was taken down before class began Wednesday. “Although this matter is under investigation, it is important to reiterate: Any employee who is found to engage in behavior that creates an unsafe environment for students will face full consequences, including the possibility of initiating termination proceedings.” In November, a complaint was filed against the same teacher for “making an inappropriate lynching analogy” during a lesson, the school district said. In that incident, administrators talked to the teacher and told him to use more appropriate examples.

A middle school teacher was placed on leave after he hung a Confederate flag in his classroom, the Folsom Cordova Unified School District said Wednesday.

The Sutter Middle School teacher will remain on paid administrative leave while the school and the district investigate.


“We recognize that regardless of context, to many of our students, families, and staff, the Confederate flag is a racist symbol of hate,” the school district said in a statement.

The flag was hanging in a classroom across from a Civil War Union flag, “potentially in preparation of a history activity,” the district said. It was taken down before class began Wednesday.

“Although this matter is under investigation, it is important to reiterate: Any employee who is found to engage in behavior that creates an unsafe environment for students will face full consequences, including the possibility of initiating termination proceedings.”

In November, a complaint was filed against the same teacher for “making an inappropriate lynching analogy” during a lesson, the school district said. In that incident, administrators talked to the teacher and told him to use more appropriate examples.