CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — A Parkway Central High School substitute teacher had to be escorted off school grounds Friday. The removal stemmed from how he responded after he saw a Black Lives Matter and Pride sign when he showed up to class.
The substitute is now defending his actions.
"I decided to take those down and tear them up,” Jason Jennings told 5 On Your Side.
He posted images on X, formerly known as Twitter, of the torn signs, saying "This is what needs to happen when teachers insist on grooming kids."
He refers to Black Lives Matter as a hate group.
"Adults can do what they want in their own lives, have their own convictions, their own beliefs, but when it comes to being in the classroom, it's not something that should be in front of kids,” Jennings said.
Someone who appears to be the teacher he was substituting for fired back, saying on X, "Those were my signs. How dare you? You will not sub in my room again."
"What you’re doing is creating a safe space for that student to know just be yourself in this classroom,” said Jordan Braxton with Pride St. Louis, who said he believed both signs served an appropriate purpose. "Black Lives Matter is an organization is a movement that fights social injustice and inequality about the Black community. The Pride flag stands for a community that’s accepting and inclusive."
Kelly Education, the company that hires substitutes for Parkway Central, issued this statement:
“Kelly Education is deeply troubled by the reports of inappropriate behavior involving our employee. Our top priority is to protect the safety and well-being of the students we serve, and we do not tolerate employee behavior that violates our policies or the policies of our school partners. We are working with school administration as we investigate the matter, and the substitute teacher has been suspended from all future assignments pending completion of the investigation. We will take appropriate action at the conclusion of the investigation. We have no further comment regarding the ongoing investigation.”
Jennings said the school principal approached him Friday while he taught.
"Very respectfully and just looked at me and said, ‘Hey, I need you to grab your stuff and come with me.’ Honestly, I was shocked. I didn't know what it was about … I got in my car and left,” he said.
Jennings is running for state office.
A school spokesperson said he was soliciting votes from students at school. He denies it. Parkway said Jennings was relieved from his duties due to “unprofessional behavior.”
Friday night, Principal Tim McCarthy sent this email to the school community:
PCH Community,
"As you may have seen on the news, we received reports today of inappropriate conduct by a substitute teacher at Central High.
Reports from students and staff stated that a substitute teacher destroyed the classroom materials of a Central High teacher. Specifically, the reports indicated the individual took down signs that showed support for Black and LGBTQ+ students and tore them up. In addition, we received reports from students that the individual solicited votes during the school day for his upcoming campaign.
Based on my initial investigation and after consulting with human resources, I addressed the incident with the individual and escorted him out of the building. Kelly Education employs a substitute who has worked part-time in some Parkway schools since 2022. Parkway reported the conduct to Kelly Education and we are providing them with the information needed to support their investigation. Parkway and Kelly Education have policies and expectations regarding the professional behavior of all staff.
I am deeply sorry this incident occurred at Central High. The safety and well-being of our students and staff are always our highest priority. I am also extremely grateful that our students and their teachers recognized that this incident was in violation of who we are as a school community and reported their concerns directly to Central High administrators. With that level of commitment to each other, I am confident that the success and positivity that has been so much a part of this school year will continue in the weeks to come.
As always, if you have questions or concerns, please reach out to me."