Prince William County middle school teacher on leave for allegedly participating in Capitol riot
WOODBRIDGE, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - The NAACP is demanding Prince William County school teacher Benjamin Plummer be fired for comments he reportedly made during a distance learning class.
Right now, the teacher is on leave after he allegedly told his online class he was at the U.S. Capitol during the violent riots and unrest. A student reportedly recorded the comments and posted them to social media.
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Plummer is a teacher at Fred Lynn Middle School in Woodbridge, Virginia. He’s currently been placed on leave while the Prince William County Schools district investigates the incident.
In a letter sent home to parents on Friday from Fred Lynn principal Hamish Brewer, Brewer says a substitute teacher will cover Plummer’s classes.
Plummer teaches social studies.
As first reported by the Prince William Times, Plummer is seen and heard via an online class, saying he was there at the US Capitol riot.
He goes on to say the media is blaming Trump supporters, calling it all "a set up."
In the video posted to Twitter, Plummer goes on to reportedly say Trump supporters who participated in the riot were peaceful, then comparing the violent demonstration at the Capitol to the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer, saying rioters that stormed the US Capitol did not "damage or hurt things."
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The Prince William County chapter of the NAACP is demanding he be terminated.
Reverend Cozy Bailey, the prresident of Prince William County’s NAACP chapter, says Plummer’s comments are, "Insulting to middle school students to think they would accept his lies. Unprofessional to share his political views, no matter what they are and an implied ‘resignation by firing’ because there is no way the PWC Schools will continue his employment."
In a statement, Prince William County Schools says, in part, " Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) recognizes that employees have a right to engage in political activity on their personal time. However, employees may not engage in political activities during worktime, on school property, or using school resources, and employees who engage in criminal activity which calls into question their fitness as a role model for students may no longer qualify for employment with PWCS."
FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis reports Benjamin Plummer is also a boys soccer coach at Fred Lynn Middle School.
In the video that’s making the rounds on social media Plummer reportedly called the US Capitol protesters incredibly peaceful Trump supporters who are all Christians who believe in God.