
Mesa Public Schools said it is looking into the incident.
On Tuesday, the teacher told 12News they dressed up that way for Halloween spirit week. The teacher explained that the theme was “dynamic duos” and that a teacher next door dressed as an angel.
“Participating in spirit weeks is a way for me to connect with my students and make class fun,” the teacher said. “It’s honestly nothing more than that.”
However, Hamlet said he felt insulted by the costume due to his religious beliefs.
“I said, ‘Don’t do that to me,’ and I pushed [the pitchfork] away maybe three or four times, but he kept doing it,” Hamlet said.
Nathaniel then told his father, Chris Hamlet, a former Mesa school board candidate, about what happened. Chris said he reported it to the school’s principal.
“I was really upset because I’m a Christian too,” Chris Hamlet said. “The main issue for me is, the teacher kept doing it even when my son asked him to stop.”
The next day, Nathaniel said the teacher was not in class and hasn’t returned since. Mesa Public Schools said the teacher is now on paid administrative leave.
A spokesperson for Mesa Public Schools gave 12News a statement on the incident:
“Mesa Public Schools administration was notified of the alleged incident late Wednesday afternoon. Our Human Resources department started investigating Thursday morning and put the teacher on paid leave. The investigation is still ongoing.”
Some parents picking up their kids from school on Monday told 12News that while they don’t agree with what the teacher did, they feel that firing him might be too extreme.
If You Ever Shop At Dollar Tree, Make Sure These Items Are Never In Your Cart

Dollar Tree is a tempting place for deals, but experts caution against buying ten items there. Electronics like headphones and chargers have a short lifespan. Spray bottles and cleaning supply nozzles tend to break quickly. Utensils, batteries, and crayons are also of low quality. Plastic kitchen tools might be useful for one-time use but not for durability. Canned goods aren’t always cheaper at Dollar Tree. Hair and skin care products lack quality ingredients. Gum packaging can be deceiving, with smaller portions than they appear. To avoid disappointment, focus on quality items at other stores for electronics, utensils, batteries, crayons, kitchen tools, canned food, beauty products, and gum.
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