Teacher Referred to Counter-Terrorism Program Over Trump Video

A British schoolteacher has reportedly been referred to the UK’s counter-terrorism program after showing a Donald Trump video to his students.

The teacher, who remains unnamed, was working at Henley College, where students aged 16 to 18 are taught. Henley College reported him to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), who assessed that his views might be considered extremist, prompting the referral to the government’s counter-terrorism initiative. This program aims to prevent the radicalization of individuals, particularly the youth.

The LADO’s report expressed concern that the teacher’s actions could be harmful to students and suggested that his views might represent a hate crime, potentially leading to radicalization.

In his American politics class, the teacher reportedly showed videos including footage from President Trump’s inauguration and a music video featuring rapper Tom MacDonald alongside comedian Roseanne Barr, both of whom support Trump.

In April, the teacher received an official letter from Henley College, citing accusations of misconduct. The letter claimed that the teacher had caused psychological harm by sharing inappropriate content, notably videos, and had displayed an unbalanced perspective leaning towards right-wing and possibly extremist views.

The letter indicated that there were serious worries about potential harm to students, criminal implications due to the nature of his views, and the risks of promoting radical ideas.

Speaking to a media outlet, the teacher, whose views align with the U.S. Republican Party, contested the label of extremism. He described the school’s stance as reflecting a “total left-wing bias,” adding, “The school does not support anything related to Donald Trump.”

“They compared me to a terrorist. It’s just utterly appalling. It’s reminiscent of a dystopia out of a George Orwell novel,” he remarked.

He shared that during discussions about the recent American election—when Trump won—he showed campaign videos. Following this, he was accused of bias, and one student reportedly became so upset that they claimed to have nightmares.

Ultimately, the teacher resigned and received a £2,000 payout.

This incident occurs amid complaints from the Trump administration regarding the state of free speech in Europe and the UK. Earlier in the year, Vice President J.D. Vance commented at the Munich Security Conference that freedom of speech in the UK and Europe was “in retreat,” emphasizing that the biggest threats are not from external forces but from those undermining Western civilization’s fundamental values.