EXCLUSIVE: WA teacher placed on leave after replacing words of National Anthem with ‘f*ck ICE, f*ck Trump, free Palestine’

In the videos, Issaquah High School Spanish teacher Kelsey Early declared she would substitute lines in the patriotic recitations with “F*ck ICE & F*ck Trump, Free Palestine.” The videos were recorded inside a classroom.

The district acknowledged the incident had caused disruption and stressed the need to maintain neutral, welcoming learning environments.

In a statement to The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, the district wrote, “The Issaquah School District is committed to the safety and well-being of every student, which includes maintaining welcoming learning environments for students of all backgrounds. Recently, the district learned that an employee shared multiple political comments and videos on their personal social media accounts, including some recorded in an empty classroom. This activity has created disruption in our schools and raised concern among students, families, and the community."

The district added, "While we respect employees’ First Amendment rights, and acknowledge the employee’s cooperation, state law and district regulations require that staff expression not interfere with the orderly operation of schools or students’ education. As a result, the district is placing the employee on non-disciplinary leave pending the outcome of an investigation. District leaders will remind staff of the regulations and laws governing expression in our schools.”

The district emphasized that the leave is non-disciplinary while an investigation takes place.

In an email to parents obtained by Hoffman, the district added, "Our teachers will continue to follow the approved curriculum to help keep our focus on student learning. In addition, I assure you that the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem will not be altered in our school, classrooms or field of play."

The district's "expression policy" for staff acknowledges First Amendment rights but notes that "Employee expression that has an adverse impact on district operations and/or negatively impacts an employee's ability to perform their job for the district may still result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Staff expression includes the performance of job responsibilities and how they represent the district in their use of district email accounts, school district buildings, district property, classrooms and how they present themselves to students."

"Employees who use social media platforms are encouraged to remember that the school community may not be able to separate employees as private citizens from their role within the district. Employee expression on social media platforms that interferes with the district's operations or prevents the district from functioning efficiently and effectively may be subject to discipline up to and including termination."

The letter also referenced state law on the "Prohibition of harassment, intimidation, and bullying."

The situation has drawn strong reactions from families, particularly in Issaquah’s sizable Israeli and Jewish community, who were already concerned about what they view as anti-Israel sentiment within the district.

Critics note that Issaquah schools have faced repeated controversies since the October 7 Hamas attacks, with accusations of bias in classroom discussions and district responses.

The district has not said how long the investigation will take or what potential consequences Early may face. Officials say they plan to remind staff of state laws and district rules governing political expression to prevent similar incidents from disrupting classrooms.