Lewisville teacher placed on leave after video of him in pink dress goes viral
A teacher with the Lewisville Independent School District has been placed on leave after a right-wing social media account posted a video of the educator at school wearing a pink dress with matching boots and a hat, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The video, posted by Libs of TikTok on X (formerly Twitter), had over 4.3 million views by Friday. The Hebron High School teacher, Rachmad Tjachyadi, was placed on administrative leave Thursday after the district received complaints about the video, which was posted Wednesday and shared on other social media platforms.
The account posted the video on X with the caption, “This is an actual teacher... How is this acceptable?!”
Libs of TikTok also posted other pictures of Tjachyadi in the thread and said the teacher sometimes shows up to school in “full drag.”
“It would be natural for our families to have questions about this situation, but because this is a personnel matter currently under review, there is no additional information the district can share,” Principal Amy Boughton said in a campus-wide email obtained by the Dallas Morning News.
Students spoke up, defending the teacher with a petition on Change.org saying he was dressing up for Spirit Day at the high school.
Lewisville ISD spokesperson Amanda Brim told the Dallas Morning News that it is the district’s standard procedure to place a staff member on leave when concerns are being reviewed by a campus.
Of a 5,000 goal, the petition had received 2,987 signatures as of Friday.
“He does not deserve to be defamed and lose his job. He has been an inspiration to many students, and has created a space where everyone can feel valued and safe,” the organizer of the petition wrote.
The petition says students encouraged Tjachyadi to wear the dress.
“The recent decision to place him on probation has left our community frustrated and disappointed,” the petitioner wrote. “It would be a great loss for Hebron High School to lose a teacher like Mr.Tjachyadi.”
According to a report by the Dallas Observer, the Libs of TikTok account has been embraced by right-wing figures including former President Donald Trump and journalist Tucker Carlson. Critics say the account frequently spreads misinformation and anti-LGBTQ+ hate posts.
This story was originally published February 15, 2024 at 11:00 PM.
