Teacher faces death threats over 'anti-Trump' essay assignment

One multiple choice answer pupils could choose was ‘Donald Trump should not be president’

A teacher at a school near Houston, in Texas, received death threats after asking students to review an essay which appeared to criticise Donald Trump. (Briscoe Cain/Facebook)

A teacher received death threats after asking students to review an essay which appeared to criticise Donald Trump.

The group of seventh grade (Year 8) pupils at a school near Houston, in Texas, were asked to read 10 essays written by students and determine what information could be inferred.

An excerpt from one of the essays, titled "Trump Against American Values", claimed some of the US president’s policies “have gone against what Americans value most, like freedom of opportunity” and that “we have witnessed insensitive remarks towards other racial and cultural groups”.

An image of the worksheet posted on Facebook by Texas Republican Briscoe Cain showed students were given multiple-choice questions to answer about the text.

The first asked “Which of the following conclusions would the author most likely agree with?”

To which one response was “Donald Trump should not be president”.

Mr Cain, who was shown the assignment by a parent, wrote: “This individual has violated the sacred trust that every parent has with the State of Texas when they send their child into a public school.

“No teacher should attempt to indoctrinate a child to their ideology, no matter who is in the White House.”

The parent is quoted by Mr Cain as saying: “This type of non-factual rhetoric has no place in our schools regardless of who the president is.

“My children have experienced great teachers in the classroom, but I have also had to put up with those who see their roles as indoctrinators, not educators.”

The Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District said it fielded numerous calls, including death threats, after the excerpt was shared by Mr Cain.

“Many of those calls were deeply disturbing and threatening in nature,” it said in a statement.

“While we all agree that the particular passage should not have been used, the teacher made a simple error in judgment. Like all of us, teachers are human and make mistakes from time to time.”

It said that the matter had been settled but did not specify if any disciplinary action was taken against the teacher, according to the Houston Chronicle.