Wisconsin student says teacher forced her to share political views during class activity
Students at Middleton High School displayed political choices on hallway boards during a class activity (@Moms4Liberty/X, @Middleton High School/Facebook)
MADISON, WISCONSIN: A student at Middleton High School said she was pressured to publicly reveal her political party during a class assignment, according to Fox News.
Despite telling her teacher she feared harassment from classmates, the teacher insisted she participate. The incident has raised concerns about student safety and how schools handle politically sensitive classroom activities.
Scarlett Johnson highlights concerns over class assignment
According to Moms for Liberty Wisconsin chairperson, Scarlett Johnson, the incident occurred at Middleton High School during a US government class.
Students were asked to write their names on red, blue, or gray squares to indicate whether they were Republican, Democrat or Independent. These squares were then to be displayed publicly in the school hallway.
One student reportedly declined to participate after hearing older students refer to red squares and say, “All those people are Nazis,” Johnson claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
History teacher Andrew Hartman dismisses student’s fears
The student later shared her concerns with her history teacher, Andrew Hartman. She said she was visibly shaking while explaining what she had overheard, but her teacher dismissed her fears and ordered her to participate in the next class.
In a follow-up post, Johnson cited details from the student’s written account. The student said she was required to list three political issues, such as immigration or abortion, explain her choices in front of classmates, and post her paper on the hallway bulletin board alongside her declared affiliation.
The publication reached out to Hartman for comment, but he did not respond.
Parents allege similar assignments across Dane County
Moms for Liberty said parents from several Dane County school districts reported their children were given the same assignment.