Teacher's scathing anti-military classroom rant goes viral
Jonathan Hunt reports on the controversy surrounding El Rancho High history teacher Gregory Salcido's remarks recorded by a student.
The Pentagon fired back Monday at a Southern California high school teacher who was recorded apparently ranting to students that members of the military were "dumb s---s" and "not intellectual people."
Pentagon spokeswoman Amber Smith said the remarks by Gregory Salcido, the El Rancho High teacher who's also a Pico Rivera city councilman and former mayor, were "very uninformed."
According to the recording from a student at the Pico Rivera school earlier this month, Salcido referred to service members as failed students who had no other option but to join up.
CALIFORNIA TEACHER SLAMS MILITARY MEMBERS AS 'LOWEST OF OUR LOW' IN CLASSROOM RANT CAUGHT ON VIDEO
"Think about the people you know who are over there,” Salcido said. "Your freakin' stupid Uncle Louie or whatever ... They're not high-level bankers. They're not academic people ... They’re the freakin’ lowest of our low."
Salcido also questioned why military recruiters were permitted to visit the school, comparing them to pimps.
The unidentified student who recorded Salcido's comments told the Orange County Register that his father and two of his uncles were Marines who fought in Vietnam, the Gulf War and Afghanistan.
"I think that [Salcido] should apologize not only to me, but to all the veterans who fought for our freedom [and] the veterans who sacrificed their lives," he said in a voice message to Fox News.
El Rancho Unified School District Superintendent Karling Aguilera-Fort told the Register Salcido would be disciplined for the comments.
Fox News' Jonathan Hunt and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
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