Mesa Public Schools said it is looking into the incident.
On Tuesday, the teacher told 12News they dressed up that way for Halloween spirit week. The teacher explained that the theme was “dynamic duos” and that a teacher next door dressed as an angel.
“Participating in spirit weeks is a way for me to connect with my students and make class fun,” the teacher said. “It’s honestly nothing more than that.”
However, Hamlet said he felt insulted by the costume due to his religious beliefs.
“I said, ‘Don’t do that to me,’ and I pushed [the pitchfork] away maybe three or four times, but he kept doing it,” Hamlet said.
Nathaniel then told his father, Chris Hamlet, a former Mesa school board candidate, about what happened. Chris said he reported it to the school’s principal.
“I was really upset because I’m a Christian too,” Chris Hamlet said. “The main issue for me is, the teacher kept doing it even when my son asked him to stop.”
The next day, Nathaniel said the teacher was not in class and hasn’t returned since. Mesa Public Schools said the teacher is now on paid administrative leave.
A spokesperson for Mesa Public Schools gave 12News a statement on the incident:
“Mesa Public Schools administration was notified of the alleged incident late Wednesday afternoon. Our Human Resources department started investigating Thursday morning and put the teacher on paid leave. The investigation is still ongoing.”
Some parents picking up their kids from school on Monday told 12News that while they don’t agree with what the teacher did, they feel that firing him might be too extreme.
Drew Carey opens up about mental health struggles as a teen: ‘Who’s gonna miss me?’
This isn’t the first time the comedian has acknowledged his battle with depression.
In 2007, he spoke about his darker days, but also emphasized the work he had done to break free.
“I learned how to believe in myself. Learned how to set goals, you know, self help books man. I just read every single one I can get a hold of and I still do. I read that stuff all the time still,” he said. “I am always coming out bigger, better, stronger and happier.”
During his recent interview, Carey shared with Wallace the valuable lessons he learned which help him in the battle against depression.
“Like, don’t take things personally. I took everything personally, if somebody wrote a bad review, I’d be like, what the hell? Coming after my money? You know, so yeah, that’s — all that’s gone.”
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
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