JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Eric Burlison, R-Battlefield, today issued the following statement relating to a recent incident in a Greene County school:

“Recently, an incident happened at Pershing Middle School. A teacher allegedly crossed the line as she quit being the teacher she was hired to be and became an advocate for her own personal views.

“As she promoted her personal beliefs in the classroom, she lost her objectivity in a conversation with one of her students, who pushed back on these ideas. Crossing the line even further, she is said to have then called the young man many demeaning and derogatory names.

“Greene County residents pay millions of dollars in taxes with an expectation that teachers exhibit professionalism as they instruct our children. As your state senator, I’ve supported our public schools with increasing state budgets year after year.

“Examples like this one, reports of critical race theory being taught, and other extreme views that don’t belong in the classroom, give me pause to consider if the education bureaucracy in our state has lost its focus on its true purpose.

“During the interim, I invite you to share with me your concerns and thoughts on public education in Missouri. We owe it to ourselves, and more importantly, to our children to provide the best opportunity for every student in our state.”