Brooke Zahn, a fourth-grade teacher at Jeffers Pond Elementary School in Minnesota's Prior Lake-Savage Area School District, found herself at the center of a controversy after demonstrating support for a policy initiative of the Trump administration.
According to The Federalist, Zahn shared an image on December 1, 2024, that endorsed the Trump administration's stance on illegal immigration. The image depicted a cartoon family with the caption, "a family that is deported together stays together." This phrase echoed the sentiments of Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, who stated in late October during the campaign that the administration aimed to deport families together to prevent family separation.
WATCH: ‘LET’S GO BRANDON’ TAKES OVER THE WHITE HOUSE—TRUMP’S SHARPEST JAB YET CAUGHT ON VIDEO!
February 12, 2025
Zahn clarified her intentions in a phone interview with The Federalist, stating, "While the meme mentioned immigration, it really wasn’t about that. The whole reason I shared it was that President Trump’s agenda was not to break up families and was not to separate children from families."
TRUMP SAYS HE'LL MAKE AN ENDORSEMENT CHOICE IN TEXAS U.S. SENATE RACE
Despite her explanation, the school district suspended Zahn for seven days without pay for sharing the meme in a private Facebook group named "Prior Lake Light Hearted Conservative Group." The district claimed that her post caused "significant educational disruption across the District," citing emails, calls, media inquiries, and public comments made at a school board meeting by students and parents.
CHINA DROPS A BOMBSHELL WITH THIS ORDER TO CHINESE AIRLINES!
The district's reaction to Zahn's post extended beyond her suspension. They created a "support group" to "address the harm from [the post]," which Zahn believes was akin to a microaggression group to help cope with the meme. However, she noted that no one attended this group, to her knowledge.
Zahn's suspension letter stated, "Your decision to post this message and refusal to acknowledge any harm it caused is conduct unbecoming a teacher." Zahn described the aftermath of her suspension as a period of intense discomfort and isolation. She felt ostracized by her colleagues and the community, which made her daily life challenging.
TWO HUGE NETWORKS LATEST TO SCRAP DEI INITIATIVES AFTER LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT!
However, upon her return to school, Zahn discovered that the district's portrayal of her situation was misleading. She stated, "Once I got back into school and kind of got back into the rhythm, I really just took the stance of holding my head up high because I didn’t do anything wrong, and I didn’t go out of my way to apologize to people or anything like that."
BREAKING NEWS: THERE'S AN EXPLOSIVE FEUD SHAKING UP CHICAGO'S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE!
The district's actions did not end with Zahn's suspension. Jeffers Pond principal Patrick Glynn sent a message to all families informing them of "concerns raised about a social media post," without naming Zahn specifically. This email sparked further online discussion, including speculation about Zahn's involvement.
MTG URGES TRUMP’S DOJ TO RESCUE AMERICANS FROM 'UNJUST' GUN LICENSE REVOCATIONS!
The district also informed staff members of an open investigation into Zahn before its conclusion, a practice that Prior Lake communications director Kristi Mussman claimed was common in cases of "significant disruption." In an unusual move, administrators met with high school students to "acknowledge their concerns," despite Zahn being a fourth-grade teacher.
DEVELOPING: DRAMATIC EXIT FROM DEMOCRATIC PARTY SPARKS BIG TIME CONTROVERSY IN FLORIDA!
Following this meeting, two high school students who had never met Zahn made impassioned pleas at a school board meeting. One student, Danny Nong, implied that Zahn should be fired, stating, "A teacher meant to provide a safe and nurturing environment not only has openly said such a horrible and hurtful thing publicly, and to my knowledge, they will still have their position unless something is done."
BREAKING NEWS: VENEZUELA'S REGIME MAY BE THREATENING U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY!
Zahn's situation is further complicated by her previous infractions. In 2021, she was reprimanded for defending students' rights not to wear masks in school, despite the district's mandate. She was also suspended for refusing to enforce the mask mandate in her class. As this is her third infraction, a fourth could result in her termination, a prospect that Zahn believes infringes on her free speech rights.
BRACE YOURSELF: TRUMP SAYS A TIDAL WAVE OF GAME-CHANGING DEALS IS ABOUT TO DROP!
Zahn has accused the teachers' union, Education Minnesota, of contributing to the backlash she faced for sharing the meme. She claimed that the union circulated a "pledge" to "stand up to bullies," which she interpreted as a message that Trump-supporting teachers deserved to be bullied.
Despite the controversy and potential legal battle ahead, Zahn remains committed to her role as an educator. She told The Federalist, "I feel like my First Amendment Right has been taken away from me online," but she will continue to teach fourth grade despite the impact on her and her family.
Zahn's case raises critical questions about the boundaries of free speech for educators, the role of political bias in education, and the potential consequences of expressing personal beliefs in a highly polarized society. It serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by conservative educators in a predominantly liberal education system.
