Michigan Teacher Fired Over Thanksgiving Photo, Offensive Text

A Michigan teacher has been fired after what a Livingston County school district superintendent is calling a ‘bad decision and parents are not happy about how long it took for them to be notified about the situation.

Reports indicate an unidentified Hartland preschool teacher dressed up young children as turkeys for a Thanksgiving photo on Friday, November 21st, 2025. According to WNEM, behind the kids was a board featuring a photo of a hunter with a gun.

According to Hartland Consolidated Schools Superintendent Chuck Hughes, the teacher then texted the photo to some co-workers with the message, ‘Which one should we pick off first?’.

The text was reported to school administrators, and Superintendent Hughes explained the situation in a letter sent to parents, including the following,

The investigation found that the teacher understood and took full responsibility for the enormity of these poor decisions. The teacher explained that it was intended to be a ‘joke’ with those who received the text message.

What is troubling many parents, according to CBS News, is that the letter was not sent until December 8, 2025 - roughly 17 days after the incident.

This story has been widely covered by numerous media outlets, including the Detroit Metro Times, which published a photo of the letter that Superintendent John Hughes sent to parents. The full letter can be read in its entirety here.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department was notified, but it does not appear that any criminal charges were filed. As of now, it is unclear whether this is an ongoing investigation.