The Talawanda school district placed Danielle Mann, an English teacher at Talawanda High School, on administrative leave following a social media post Mann made on TikTok during school hours on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
In the video, Mann said she challenges any man who voted Democrat in the 2024 election to identify themselves by wearing blue bracelets or blue safety pins and posting their stories on social media where they live so women could identify them as “safe spaces.”
“If you are or know a man [of any background] who voted blue, I’m challenging you to post on this platform (TikTok) so we can see your faces and thank you,” Mann said, “and [so] that later we have it on the record of who the safe men are.”
“The women need to see your faces,” Mann said. “We need to know your names. We need to know where you live because we are in danger.”
The video received backlash online. The original video was deleted from TikTok but reposted on Facebook by an anonymous source. As of 5 p.m. on Nov. 8, the video had 1,800 comments and 779 shares.
Many commenters wrote that they worried Mann’s rhetoric created an environment of indoctrination in the classroom.
One comment read: “I don’t care which way you vote, but it should not be inflicted on our children.”
Although the majority of the responses online were negative, some users, including two former students, rose to Mann’s defense. One commenter said he emailed the superintendent regarding the incident and others should do the same.
It is unknown whether or not Mann will return to Talawanda High School following her leave; however, the Talawanda City School District policy states, “If the Superintendent believes the staff member is unable to perform assigned duties, the professional staff member will be offered the opportunity for a meeting to discuss these issues.”
The Talawanda school district placed Mann on paid administrative leave, according to an online statement Friday, Nov. 8.
Holli Hansel, director of communications and public relations for the Talawanda school district, said because the investigation is still open, the school cannot provide further comment at this time.
The Miami Student reached out to Mann for comment but received no response in time for publication.
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