Parents and students in Prior Lake are raising concerns about an anti-immigrant social media post a teacher at Jeffers Pond Elementary School allegedly shared on Facebook.
The post was originally made on X, formerly known as Twitter, by a different account, and the teacher allegedly re-shared it in a Facebook group on December 1. The post consists of a photo of a cartoon family hugging each other and the words, “A FAMILY THAT IS DEPORTED TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER.” The post was shared by a Facebook account with the name, “Brooke Bendorf,” who was identified by some students and parents in the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools district as fourth-grade teacher Brooke Zahn.
“I am the son of an immigrant; my mom was actually deported when I was younger,” Prior Lake High School senior Danny Nong told Sahan Journal. “It hurt a lot, knowing that a teacher had these sentiments.”
Nong was one of three speakers who expressed concern about the post at a recent school board meeting. The post comes as President-elect Donald Trump promises to enforce mass deportations and crack down on other immigration issues when he takes office next month.
Zahn and Jeffers Pond Principal Patrick Glynn did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Glynn sent multiple email messages to parents acknowledging concerns about the post. Parents in the district shared the emails with Sahan Journal.
In one message addressed to “Families in Mrs. Zahn’s Classroom,” Glynn wrote that “Mrs. Zahn” would be on leave from December 12 to 20. He urged parents to contact him by email or phone if they had any questions.
Glynn sent another email addressed to “Jeffers Pond Families”: “I understand there have been concerns raised about a recent social media post allegedly connected to a staff member. As your principal, I want to assure you that we remain committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and supportive environment for all members of our school community.”
The Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools district confirmed that Brooke Zahn is a teacher with the district, but declined interview requests about the incident. The district did not identify the teacher allegedly behind the social media post, but released a written statement to Sahan Journal acknowledging that it was aware of concerns linked to “an alleged social media post.”
The district said it’s taking the incident seriously and is addressing it “in a manner consistent with our policies and procedures.” Privacy laws limit the district’s ability to share private personnel information, the district said.
“Our priority is maintaining a positive and welcoming environment for students, families, and staff,” said the district’s statement. “We value every family and individual who is a part of our school community, and we strive to ensure that everyone feels respected and appreciated.”
Nong, Prior Lake High School senior Jasmine DuHadway and parent Lauren Harding spoke out against the social media post during the school board’s December 9 meeting, and pressured the district to take action. Some attendees applauded their remarks.
“This behavior is not okay,” DuHadway said at the meeting. “If action is not taken immediately, it would be setting a precedent where other teachers who share these dangerous and hurtful ideas feel that their actions do not have consequences.”
The social media post was not on the meeting’s agenda. School board members did not respond to the speakers’ testimonials during the public comment period, and did not return messages from Sahan Journal seeking comment.
“In reality, it’s the district’s job to investigate this and make sure that this isn’t spurring into how she’s treating other kids,” DuHadway told Sahan Journal in an interview. “This is hateful speech.
“I think it would pain me to be a student in her class if she did express views like that. If they [the district] find nothing in the investigation and she doesn’t get her license revoked, I think next steps would be more policy-making… against this and make this a smoother process on how to investigate this.”
Nong, who immigrated from Cambodia to the United States when he was three, said two school staffers told him about the post in early December during a student advisory body meeting.
“I know that my mom would be really hurt by this [post] a lot,” Nong said. “I know my dad was definitely perplexed, and it’s so crazy to him that something like this… is just regurgitated out and told out to the world without a thought.”
The post was “so shocking and disheartening,” Harding said at the school board meeting.
“While I fully respect her right to express her personal opinions, sharing harmful and hateful views in a public forum raises significant concerns, particularly for the students she interacts with daily,” Harding said at the meeting. “My primary worry is for the students in her classroom, especially those who might feel targeted or excluded by her words.”
Nong and DuHadway said some parents and teachers commended them at school and on social media for their remarks at the school board meeting.
“It was just so sweet to have so much support for this issue,” DuHadway said. “Our district, there’s a huge community of trusted adults and educators, and I want anyone reading this to know that Prior Lake-Savage Lake District has so many great teachers, and I felt the love.”
