Teacher Forced to Resign in Disgrace After Anti-Trump Stunt on School Field Trip

An Indiana school teacher has resigned following a district investigation into a photo she posted from a student trip to Washington, D.C., where she was seen wearing a shirt bearing a slogan widely interpreted as a call for violence against President Donald Trump.

Tonja Luken, a teacher with Middlebury Community Schools, came under scrutiny after she uploaded a photo of herself and a colleague smiling in front of the White House.

In the image, Luken is seen wearing a blue floral t-shirt with the number “8647” printed on it.

Meet Tonja Luken, a teacher at @MiddleburyComm1 in Indiana. She reportedly wore an “8647” shirt on a school trip to Washington, DC.

Why is a school teacher promoting the ass*ssination of a President, on a school trip with students, in front of the White House??

Any comment… pic.twitter.com/uv6XWtmC2R

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 4, 2025

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The post was shared on her personal Facebook page but was later deleted.

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The number quickly drew attention online.

Social media users pointed out that “86” is slang for eliminating or killing something—a term that originated in the restaurant industry in the 1930s.

The number “47” is understood by many to reference Donald Trump, who is the 47th President of the United States.

The full number “8647” has been used by some left-wing activists online as coded opposition to President Trump.

Similar slogans, such as “8645,” were seen during Trump’s first term, referring to him as the 45th president.

The incident took place during a school-sanctioned trip with Middlebury Community Schools, where Luken was serving as a chaperone.

In response to the backlash, the school district issued a public statement confirming that the matter was being reviewed.

“Middlebury Community Schools owns policies that require teachers to refrain from using their position to promote partisan political views,” the district stated.

“This prohibition applies to all teachers regardless of their political leanings, and to every political message regardless of its content.”

“Earlier this week, Middlebury Community Schools’ administration learned of a social media post made by a teacher while serving as a chaperone on a student trip to our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. In the posted photograph, the teacher is wearing a T-shirt possessing a partisan political message while supervising students.”

The district confirmed that an internal investigation was launched after the trip returned on June 4.

However, the investigation concluded the following day when Luken resigned.

“Earlier today, Middlebury Community Schools completed its investigation into circumstances surrounding a teacher’s social media post,” the district said in a follow-up statement.

“After the conclusion of the school corporation’s interview, when informed the school corporation would be commencing the cancellation of her contract, the teacher submitted her immediate resignation. The teacher is no longer employed by the school corporation.”

Luken, a married mother of five, has not issued a public statement and has since taken down or restricted access to her social media accounts.

The district has not provided additional information on the matter.

The situation mirrors a 2023 controversy involving former FBI Director James Comey, who was criticized after sharing an Instagram post featuring seashells arranged to spell out “8647.”

That post was condemned by conservative commentators and prompted a response from the Secret Service.

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