Boyne City High School Teacher’s Tweet to Trump Gets Heat on Social Media

A Charlevoix County teacher’s tweet to President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day is getting heat on social media.

Mark Pontoni tweeted at Trump Friday saying the day was worse than 9/11 and Pearl Harbor combined.

A Boyne City High School alumnus shared Pontoni’s tweet on Facebook with concern about personal political views in the classroom.

9 & 10’s Blayke Roznowski and photojournalist Noah Jurik talked to the superintendent about how they’re handling the situation and what a former student has to say.

The Boyne City Public Schools superintendent says it all started when community members came forward with some concern about Mark Pontoni’s tweets on Inauguration Day.

"We’re taking a look at it and see if we need to react to it or not," superintendent Patrick Little said. "Mr. Pontoni did meet with his supervisor this morning to review expectations and that’s where it lies."

He tweeted at President Trump saying Inauguration Day was worse than 9/11 and Pearl Harbor combined.

When a Boyne City alum shared the tweet, it got many shares and comments of concern on political views in the classroom.

"All of our curriculum should be presented in a neutral and objective way and that also leads teachers to be able to talk about both sides of an issue," Little said.

Some of Pontoni’s former students stood up for him though, saying they never felt he forced his opinions on them.

"Never targeted students at all or made fun of students or called them out," Boyne City High School alumnus Nic Backus said. "We would discuss an issue and if we were comfortable debating about it between the classmates."

Other posts from Pontoni explain he made the comparison of Inauguration Day to 9/11 or Pearl Harbor not based on the lives lost those days, but the impact they had for years to come.

Former students say they hope this doesn’t change how Pontoni teaches in the classroom.

"I would definitely hope that they would allow him to continue teaching the way he’s teaching because he’s very unique and I think it’s very, very positive," Backus said.

Pontoni declined to speak with us further when we reached out to him.