A high school teacher in South San Jose has been placed on paid administrative leave after a group of students claimed the teacher told them they'd soon be deported under Donald Trump's presidency.
During a rally at Oak Grove High School last Wednesday, a day after Trump was elected president, the group of students decided to remain seated during the playing of the national anthem in protest of what they believe Trump stands for.
According to the students, the teacher told them to stand, and when they refused, the teacher got frustrated and said, "Good luck with being deported now that Donald Trump is president. ... You guys had it better here than you will over there."
One unidentified senior at the school said the group was protesting what she called Trump's rhetoric and positions on immigration.
"We just stayed seated, quietly, respecting everybody, not saying any rude comments whatsoever," the student said. "It was completely unacceptable. I was actually shocked and angry because I never thought I'd hear this coming from a teacher."
After the rally, the students reported the incident to the school principal.
On Monday night, the East Side Union School District would only confirm a teacher at Oak Grove is on paid administrative leave as of last week, pending the outcome of an investigation.
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Other students who knew of the incident said they were disappointed.
The teacher could not be reached for comment.
NBC Bay Area has decided not to name the teacher because nobody has been charged with a crime.
