A series of videos has been posted to Facebook in which a history and social studies teacher at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, California, can be heard completely disrespecting and trashing the U.S. military and the men and women who serve the country – all because one of his students was wearing a Marines sweatshirt in class.
The videos, taken on Jan. 19 by a student using a cell phone, have gone viral, with one being viewed more than 5.6 million times.
“We’ve got a bunch of dumb shits over there. They’re not high-level thinkers. They’re not academic people. They’re not intellectual people. They’re the lowest of the low. They’re not talented people,” the teacher, who is said to be Gregory Salcido – can be heard saying in one of the videos, assumably referring to the men and women deployed overseas around the world.
In the videos, the male teacher goes on a rant for several minutes. He says he doesn’t know how anyone ends up joining the military.
“It’s because you have no other options,” the teacher says.
While constantly berating the military and those who serve, the teacher also asks why anyone would “wear something you can’t even support.”
“Don’t you ever bring the military into this again,” he says. “We don’t let pimps into school. Is anyone interested in being a hoe? … They’re going to lie to you.”
American Military News spoke to the student’s mother, who asked that her child not be named, lest they face repercussion at school.
His mother’s friend, Kimberlie Flauto, posted the videos to Facebook asking the community to help them go viral.
At one point in the videos, the teacher also talks about those who were killed in the Twin Towers on 9/11.
“Why did people jump out of the World Trade Center on 9/11? It was so bad in there, they would rather jump and die that way than burn to death,” he says. “What option is better?”
Salcido did not return a request for comment from American Military News. Salcido is no stranger to controversy and is apparently known for his unconventional world views that he openly shares with his students. He was reportedly placed on administrative leave from the school district in August 2017 over his questionable classroom conduct.
There is now an investigation into the videos and the teacher who made those comments, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“This is not something that we are taking lightly,” Pico Rivera school board President Aurora Villon told Los Angeles Times. “I cannot discuss it because it is a personnel matter, other than we are conducting a full-blown investigation. We are moving very diligently.”
