A California history teacher who was seen on video making disparaging remarks about members of the military has been fired.
The Los Angles Times reported that the El Rancho Unified School District unanimously voted on Tuesday to remove Gregory Salcido from his post at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, California.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that, pending any appeals, Salcido will stay on unpaid leave.
In January, Salcido was investigated by the board after video was released of him telling a class of students that people in the military are "not intellectual people" and "the freaking lowest of our low." The video, in which Salcido appeared to be reacting to a student wearing a Marines shirt, surfaced on Jan. 26.
"We've got a bunch of dumb (expletive) over there," Salcido says in the video. "Think about the people who you know who are over there – your freaking stupid Uncle Louie or whatever – they're dumb (expletive). They're not like high-level thinkers, they're not academic people, they're not intellectual people; they're the freaking lowest of our low."
The history teacher also appeared to make insensitive remarks about people in Asia.
“We couldn’t beat the Vietnamese – they’re a bunch of people this freaking big throwing rice at us.”
KCBS reported that Salcido defended his comments at a Feb. 13 city council meeting.
“My goal, as it relates to my students, related to the military, is to get them to do everything to get to college,” Salcido said. “It’s not just the military, I don’t want them working at a fast food restaurant either. And any comment related to, is out of context. I’m talking about their academic standing. I don’t think it’s at all a revelation to anybody that those who aren’t stellar students usually find the military a better option.”
The video prompted White House Chief Of Staff John Kelly, a former Marine Corps general, to say, “I think the guy ought to go to hell.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that Salcido, 49, was with his wife visiting family in New York and headed home "under the circumstances," according to an email from Salcido.
"Because of the many vulgar and violent threats against my family, I do not have any comment on the situation at this time," Salcido told the LA Times.
Salcido has 30 days to appeal the board’s decision.
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