HERRIMAN, Utah — A Utah high school teacher apologized this week for offering to reward students who had received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Kelly DeHaan, the choir director at Mountain Ridge High School in Herriman, posted an apology after some parents expressed anger over his actions on social media.
"In my zeal to reward students for getting vaccinated I crossed an important line," DeHaan wrote. "I'm so sorry if I offended anyone who has strong feelings about the vaccination. All students will be graded solely on their participation and efforts in my class."
DeHaan admitted that he had told students that if they received a vaccination, they would not need to make up points for the class they missed.
"Thank you for your patience as I fix the few points I've given and walk-back my initial statement," DeHaan added.
On Tuesday, members of the "Utahns Against Common Core" page on Facebook shared a video from a parent complaining about DeHaan. A woman in the video encourages parents to call the school
DeHaan is a beloved teacher at the school and was honored as FOX 13's "Teacher of the Month" in March 2020. At the height of the pandemic, DeHaan worked to keep his students engaged and keep the music playing, even when school went virtual.
The Jordan School District told FOX 13 that the matter has been resolved after DeHaan issued an apology.
