A Southern California teacher accused of sharing ashocking racist memehas left his job after investigators said his claim he was hacked was a lie.
John Solomon, a longtime educator in the Long Beach Unified School District, retired while facing potential discipline following a months-long probe into the incident, theLong Beach Post reports.
The case centered on a controversial image circulated in a private group chat that triggered outrage among teachers, parents and the broader community.
The meme depicted a cartoon of a black child wearing an ankle monitor alongside the message: “We need this for our runners.”
Colleagues said the message appeared tomock special education studentswho sometimes leave campus without permission, raising concerns it targeted both race and disability.
An independent investigation commissioned by the district found the message “belittled students of color and students with disabilities,” concluding it contributed to a harmful environment and damaged Solomon’s ability to effectively teach.
Solomon denied ever sending the meme, insisting hisphone had been hacked. But both a teachers union investigative panel and the district ultimately rejected that claim.
According to the district’s findings, his version of events conflicted with multiple witness accounts, and he declined an offer to have his phone forensically examined — a step that could have supported his defense.
The controversy first surfaced last fall while Solomon was serving on the teachers union’s bargaining committee.
As scrutiny grew, union leaders publicly criticized him and called for his resignation from a leadership role. Fellow educators also pushed him out of the position.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
