Idaho teacher loses job after ‘racist, sexist’ comment about Boise mayor

High schoolteacher Rita Soltesz has paid a hefty price for an inappropriate Facebook post that was spotted by parents and officials.

A US music teacher is out of work after posting a sexual comment about the local mayor on social media.

Rita Soltesz, who was employed at Idaho Fine Arts Academy and Eagle Middle School, came under fire after parents and school officials spotted her July 18 Facebook post.

It referenced Mayor Lauren McLean’s recent criticism of white supremacists who attended a Black Lives Matter protest in the state capital Boise and attacked some attendees.

“Her white supremacist hater a** needs to get laid! … by BLM members,” Ms Soltesz’s post read. “Should be a group activity … and make it go viral! … I’m still deciding if they should wear masks during the activity,” Ms Soltesz wrote.

Her comments were in response to an article about the incident and a petition to recall the mayor over her comments.

Shocked social media users took screenshots of the post which were then shared on the school’s public Facebook page.

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Rita Soltesz Let’s see what everyone thinks of you! Idaho Fine Arts Academy this is how you let your employees represent?

Posted by Morgan Black on Saturday, 18 July 2020

West Ada district spokesman Eric Exline said in a statement that Ms Soltesz was no longer employed at the school following a special meeting of the Board of Trustees on July 24.

However, it wasn’t clear whether she had resigned or been sacked.

“We have received a number of emails from concerned parents and we share their concerns,” he said, according to the Idaho Statesman.

“The statements in the post don’t reflect the values of the West Ada School District. Because it’s a personnel matter, I can’t discuss the consequences of making this post.”

On Monday, the school district said it already had social media guidelines in place for staff, but that the scandal involving Ms Soltesz would lead to extra reminders, Idaho News reported.

Soon after the story broke, Idaho Fine Arts Academy secretary Cynthia Anderson told KTVB the school was taking “immediate action”.

“My heart dropped when I saw this,” Ms Anderson said.

“This is not what we represent and will not stand for it.”

The incident comes in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and across the world, which has put the spotlight on systemic racism faced by the African-American community and other minorities.