Educators under fire: Teachers targeted by Libs of TikTok

In addition to inspiring bombing threats against children’s hospitals, gyms, and schools, Chaya Raichik, who goes by Libs of TikTok on social media, has targeted any LGBTQ+ and allied educators who proudly share their queer identities and allyship in public ways that Raichik disapproves of.

Below is a list of five known educators resigned or were fired after being targeted by Raichik. The actual number may be higher, as Raichik regularly targets a variety of educators on her account.

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Shane Murnan

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Shane Murnan, an award-winning principal at John Glenn Elementary School in Oklahoma City, had worked in education for decades before Raichik shared posts highlighting his side job as a drag queen. Afterward, the school began receiving bomb threats.

Although Murnan never kept his side job a secret, the school banned him from working in the building during the day, deeming his presence a safety risk. Western Heights Superintendent Brayden Savage at first stood by Murnan but ultimately told him to resign or face termination due to the added security costs the school was incurring — Murnan resigned.

Tyler Wrynn

Tyler Wrynn, an English teacher at Will Rodgers High School in Oklahoma’s Owasso school district, resigned after Raichik reposted his TikTok video in which he said he told students, “If your parents don’t accept you for who you are, f**k them. I’m your parents now.”

In a Facebook post attributed to Wrynn, he reportedly wrote, “Unfortunately, the district is letting me go. I’ll be on administrative leave for the rest of the year, so at least they are going to pay out the rest of my contract. Again, thank you for the support. I guess I was a little too vocal about supporting our LGBTQIA+ kids.”

Rachmad Tjachyadi

Rachmad Tjachyadi — a dedicated high school science teacher at Hebron High School in Lewisville, Texas — resigned after Raichik posted photos and videos of him wearing dresses and other costumes at school and school-related functions. Raichik’s posts were reposted by anti-LGBTQ+ figures, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R). Tjachyadi was put on leave, and students rallied to Tjachyadi’s defense, launching an online petition to have him reinstated.

But in his letter to students, Tjachyadi said that he’d decided to resign, writing, “It has been very difficult to see the hateful comments on social media about me and about Hebron High School, and that has greatly influenced my decision to remove myself from the narrative… The last thing I want to do is remove the focus from the great things our students and staff are doing, and sadly that is what all the external voices are trying to do… I want each and every one of you to always remember that you are valued and worthy of respect just as you are.”

Kristin Pitzen

Kristin Pitzen — an English-as-a-second-language teacher in the Newport Mesa School District in Orange County, California — was targeted by Raichick after Pitzen posted a TikTok video in which she recounted jokingly telling a student to pledge allegiance to a progress Pride flag inside of her classroom because she had taken down the U.S. flag during the COVID pandemic school shutdowns.

One commenter called her an indoctrinator with an “ungodly social agenda.” Others mentioned how the video proves that the country is in “shambles” and that public education should be abolished. A school district spokesperson wrote that Pitzen was “no longer in the classroom” as they investigated the incident. It’s unclear if Pitzen is still employed with the district.

Jenna Hall

Jenna Hall — a teacher at Renaissance Academy in Lehi, Utah — resigned after Raichik shared a video in which Hall said that a lot students “are queer, because I am queer and so they figured it out.” Hall said her classroom had “become their safe place.”

Mark Ursic, the academy’s executive director, said the video was “concerning,” and referred to “inappropriate conversations,” according to KTSU. Hall was initially placed on administrative leave. However, Hall and Ursic “mutually agreed to end our employment relationship,” he added.

Navigating the challenges ahead for educators

The targeting of LGBTQ+ and allied teachers by Libs of TikTok demonstrates the negative impact that social media can have not only on the careers of dedicated educators but also on the educational experience of students and the well-being of the greater community.

Culture warriors who prey on prejudice and ignorance hinder open and supportive classroom discussions on crucial societal issues like discrimination, self-acceptance, gender stereotypes, and mental health. Educators play a pivotal role in creating inclusive and well-rounded learning environments — and they do so in the face of Republican efforts to demonize and defund public education in the name of for-profit “school choice.”

It’s critical to support teachers against undue harassment on social media because depriving students of a free and safe educational learning environment where they can learn about a broad spectrum of topics, including sensitive social issues, is essential for sustaining a healthy educational system and a nation of empowered and informed citizens.

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