Teacher in Florida removed from classroom after being linked to white supremacist podcast

Dayanna Volitich, a teacher in Crystal River, Florida, was removed from the middle school she teaches at after it was revealed in a news story by the Huffington Post that she is the host of a podcast aimed at white supremacists. She is now defending the podcast, which ran with disparaging remarks against Jews and people of color by saying it was satire. The social studies teacher was also known as Tiana Dalichov in the podcast called “Unapologetic.” Through her attorney, Volitich claims that her podcast was “political satire” and a “hobby.” But some news sources say that she also carried the viewpoints into her classroom. “None of the statements released about my being a white nationalist or white supremacist have any truth to them, nor are my political beliefs injected into my teaching of social studies curriculum,” she said in a statement released through her attorney. Volitich was removed from the classroom while the school district investigates her behavior. In a statement provided to CNN, the Citrus County School District said “the Human Resources department was notified and an investigation was initiated immediately” when they learned of Volitich’s alleged online behavior. “The teacher has been removed from the classroom and the investigation is ongoing,” the statement read. Assistant Superintendent Michael Mullen also told CNN that Volitich is still employed by the school, but “does not have contact with students while the investigation is being conducted.” According to the original Huffington Post piece, the social studies teacher also carried her racist beliefs onto her social media account, posting about the “horrors of Islam,” racist biology (believing some races are superior to others) and also anti-Semitic sentiments. Her podcasts have been removed from the Internet, but HuffPost had obtained some before the investigation into her activities had begun.