Teacher at center of Trump shirt controversy on paid leave

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga - A Cherokee County teacher caught on video telling two students to turn their Trump Make America Great Again t-shirts inside out is out of the classroom. Lyn Orletsky was on paid leave this week.

Orletsky is a math teacher at River Ridge High School in Woodstock. She was caught on video telling the students to turn their shirts inside out. The video was posted on Turning Point News.

Orletsky said the students wore the shirts shortly after the violence in Charlottesville, where many hate groups had hijacked the "Make America Great Again" slogan.

"It had to do with the slogan that had been adopted by certain neo-Nazi groups. When they asked me to explain, I gave the example of not being able to wear a swastika in class," said Orletsky.

When asked what her reaction would have been if the students wore "I'm With Her" Hillary Clinton shirts, she said it had nothing to do with politics.

"It wasn't political, I haven't given it a thought," said Orletsky.

The school sent an email to parents apologizing for the teacher's actions, telling them the shirts did not violate the dress code, and that Orletsky had been removed from the classroom.

At Thursday night's Cherokee County School Board meeting, it was not discussed on the agenda, But parents are talking about it.

"If she thought other students would be offended by it, then she made the right decisions," said parent April Awe.

"I don't find ‘Make America Great’ offensive, I think it's okay they wear that to school," said parent Doug Prusso.

"I think she was wrong and should be disciplined, but I don't know what would be appropriate," said parent Nina Goss.

Orletsky said she has gotten a lot of support as well as hundreds of hate emails. She said she even got a death threat.

Orletsky said she was told the school officials were conducting an investigation and would get back to her sometime after the fall break, which is the week of Sept. 17.