Elementary school teacher caught sending truly awful racist picture of child as he makes bizarre excuse

A Southern California teacher accused of sharing a shocking racist meme has left his job after investigators said his claim he was hacked was a lie.John Solomon, a longtime educator in the Long Beach Unified School District, retired while facing potential discipline following a months-long probe into the incident, the Long Beach Post reports.The case centered on a controversial image circulated in a private group chat that triggered outrage among teachers, parents and the broader community.The meme depicted a cartoon of a black child wearing an ankle monitor alongside the message: “We need this for our runners.”Colleagues said the message appeared to mock special education students who sometimes leave campus without permission, raising concerns it targeted both race and disability.An independent investigation commissioned by the district found the message “belittled students of color and students with disabilities,” concluding it contributed to a harmful environment and damaged Solomon’s ability to effectively teach.Solomon denied ever sending the meme, insisting his phone had been hacked.But both a teachers union investigative panel and the district ultimately rejected that claim.According to the district’s findings, his version of events conflicted with multiple witness accounts, and he declined an offer to have his phone forensically examined — a step that could have supported his defense.The controversy first surfaced last fall while Solomon was serving on the teachers union’s bargaining committee.As scrutiny grew, union leaders publicly criticized him and called for his resignation from a leadership role.

Fellow educators also pushed him out of the position.Initially, the school district opted not to pursue its own inquiry, citing the message as part of internal union communications.But that stance changed after the image became public, igniting what officials described as a “public outcry” and prompting complaints from families and student...