A California teacher who hung an Antifa flag in his classroom and said he wanted to make his students “revolutionaries” will be paid three years’ salary in exchange for his resignation.
Parents at Inderkum High School in Sacramento had called on the district to fire AP government teacher Gabriel Gipe after he was caught on video in September discussing the flag with Project Veritas, a far-right media group.
“I have an Antifa flag on mine [classroom] Wand and one student complained about it – he said he was uncomfortable. Well that [Antifa flag] should make fascists feel uncomfortable. So if you’re not feeling well, I don’t really know what to tell you,’ Gipe said.
Gabriel Gipe, a California teacher who hung an Antifa flag in his classroom and said he wants to make his students “revolutionaries,” will be paid three years’ salary in exchange for his resignation
Parents at Inderkum High School in Sacramento had called on the district to fire AP government teacher Gabriel Gipe after he was caught on video in September discussing the flag with Project Veritas, a far-right media group
“I have 180 days to turn [students] into revolutionaries.’
At the time, he was on unpaid leave and fired from the school district for “clear violations of political activity.”
In January, about four months later, Gipe School District officials paid 3 $190,000 to quit without litigation, according to KCRA.
Gabriel Gipe displayed an Antifa flag (left) and a poster of Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong in his classroom at Inderkum High School in Sacramento, California
Gipe’s annual salary was around $60,000. After taxes, he left the job with about $100,000.
Natomas Unified School District said in a statement: “We got through this and we’ve moved forward. The most important thing now is to welcome our students back to the start of a new school year.”
Garbriel Gipe was caught speaking to Antifa about his political ideology and discussing it with students in a conversation with Project Veritas, a far-right media outlet
The teacher also had posters of Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong in the classroom and had offered extra credit to students who took part in protests, the New York Post reports.
Gipe also had stamps this year with images of Joseph Stalin, Fidel Castro and Kim Jung Un to honor students’ schoolwork.
The Natomas Unified School District said that while it understands the context in which Gipe was interviewed by Project Veritas, steps have been taken to remove the teacher from the district.
“Natomas Unified will take the next steps required by law to place the teacher on unpaid leave and fire him.
“The actions and approaches of a single teacher do not represent the entire staff, students and school community. We apologize to those who have felt uncomfortable at any point in the last 3 years,” the district added.
The district also said Gipe’s encouragement for students to participate in protests for extra credit was both “unprofessional and irresponsible.”
Gabriel Gipe pictured in a snide anti-police shirt during a protest. The teacher offered his students extra points if they also attended protests
Project Veritas attempted to conduct a follow-up interview with Gipe about calls for his firing as a teacher
Project Veritas has declined to release the full, unedited version of their interview with Gipe. The outlet has been accused of posting misleading content in the past.
Gipe had said he was harassed by the media when they did a follow-up report on him and stopped him in the street while he was walking his dog.
The move to fire Gipe came after parents complained to the school district during a board meeting on Wednesday, urging the board to fire Gipe.
“In my opinion, the school district failed,” Luis Ortega, a district resident whose son recently graduated from Inderkum High School, told the NY Post.
“Everything has been brought out into the open and as everyone says it doesn’t end with Mr Gabriel Gipe. There are some deep-rooted issues in the district.”
Gipe was given an unpaid leave of absence from Inderkum High School, as pictured, and despite initial calls after his dismissal, he received three years’ salary in exchange for his resignation
Paizly Gomez, another parent in the district, said Gipe crossed a line with what he was doing in the classroom.
“I’m all for freedom of speech,” Paizly Gomez, a concerned parent, told KCRA 3. “I’m not going to deny that, but if you’re a teacher, your job is an academic. They are not here for ethics, values or political views – that is not welcome in the school unless it is a private school.”
In its investigation into the incident, the district said Gipe ultimately violated 2020 guidelines that banned teachers from certain political actions during their school years.