Teacher On Leave After Dressing Up As Devil, Telling Students 'Hail Satan'

By Bill Galluccio

October 31, 2023

Man in devil costume standing, smiling
Photo: Photodisc / Photodisc / Getty Images

A high school teacher in Arizona has been placed on paid leave after dressing up as the Devil for Halloween and telling students to "Hail Satan."

Sophomore Nathaniel Hamlet told KPNX that he was surprised to find his teacher wearing devil horns and holding a pitchfork when he walked into class last week.

"Some people thought it was funny, some people didn't like it, some people were like 'whatever,' they just blew it off," Nathaniel told the news outlet.

The teacher, who was not identified, reportedly waived the pitchfork at students and told them "Hail Satan" when they entered the classroom.

That made Nathaniel, who is a devout Christian, uncomfortable.

"I said, 'Don't do that to me,' and I pushed [the pitchfork] away, maybe three or four times, and he still said it and still did it," Nathaniel said.

Nathaniel's father, Chris, said he was "livid" that the teacher continued to do it even after his son asked him to stop.

"I was livid because I am a Christian as well, obviously," Chris said. "What really tipped it over for me is, he kept telling him no, and he and the teacher kept persisting."

After Nathaniel's father complained to the school, they placed the teacher on paid administrative leave while they investigate the incident.

Both Chris and his son want to see the teacher fired for his actions.

"I feel like that's fair, but he did it repeatedly to everyone," Nathaniel said. "So I feel like you should probably get fired."

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