An Arkansas teacher was forced to resign after he referred to first lady Michelle Obama as “first chimp” in a Facebook post.
Malvern High School teacher Trent Bennett thought he was exercising his first amendment rights to free speech when he wrote “Michelle Obummer… America’s First Chimp” in a now-deleted Facebook post.
After a planned boycott by black parents and teachers was announced, the Malvern School District held an emergency board meeting Thursday where members voted 6-0 to accept the science teacher’s resignation.
In an apology letter to the media, Bennett noted that his words were “disrespectful and offensive.”.
“I am aware of the impact this has had, and though I negate that I have ever conducted myself in a less than professional manner in regard to my students, I have resigned my teaching position at Malvern High School,” he wrote.
Bennett also deleted his social media pages to avoid “future issues”.
In related news, Pamela Taylor, a former executive in city government in West Virginia, was fired after returning off suspension for calling Mrs. Obama an “ape in heels”.
Both Bennett and Taylor are Caucasian Donald Trump supporters.
