You know things are off the rails when a high school teacher hands a teenager a classroom superlative certificate that literally says “Most Likely to Become a Dictator” — and people on the Left try to spin it as harmless classroom fun. No, really. That actually happened. In America. In 2023. Welcome to Gainesville High School, where if you’re a conservative student with an interest in history and an ambition to serve your country… you get labeled a fascist.
And the people doing the labeling? The teachers.
Let’s get one thing straight: this wasn’t a one-off joke or a rogue prank by kids being kids. According to the student’s mother, Dr. Crystal Marull, this was endorsed — even orchestrated — by his history teacher, Lauren Watts. That’s right, the adult in the room thought it would be totally appropriate to take a student with ROTC involvement and dreams of diplomacy and turn him into a political punching bag.
Phew. This is the Gainesville teacher, Lauren Watts, who branded a student a dictator because he wasn’t liberal enough for her. https://t.co/94y9r3v3ac pic.twitter.com/0vVFeVzNDu
— Southpaw Patrol (@SouthpawPatrol) August 26, 2025
But here’s the part that really lands with a thud: the teacher made the class vote on it. As if turning a kid’s beliefs into a punchline wasn’t enough, she then tried to parade him to the front of the room to accept the “award.” Can you imagine the reaction if a liberal student had been called “Most Likely to Join Antifa” or “Most Likely to Cancel Free Speech”? The media would be setting up live shots outside the school by noon.
But because this student is conservative — and happens to believe in duty, patriotism, and actual history — he’s fair game.
And let’s talk about the response from the school district: silence, delay, and finally… “administrative leave.” That’s the go-to move for districts these days. Don’t address the issue. Don’t apologize. Don’t take a position. Just shuffle the deck, wait for the outrage to pass, and quietly reinstate everyone when the cameras stop rolling.
But it’s not just the teacher. The rot is higher up.
Dr. Marull — who’s been a vocal opponent of sexually explicit books in schools (another major sin in the eyes of the woke crowd) — claims that her six-year-old son was separated from a bus buddy because of her political views. Oh, and the chair of the local school board? Sarah Rockwell? She was caught saying “one less MAGA in the world” after the death of Hulk Hogan. Yeah. Because wishing away half the country is apparently just a “flippant comment” now.
Florida mom Crystal Marull testified before the state Board of Ed on Aug. 20, 2025, about a 2023 incident at Gainesville High where teacher Lauren Watts let classmates label her son a “Naziphile” over his WWII history interest & ROTC involvement. Watts nominated him “Most Likely… https://t.co/tpXdCP3Y80
— Fernando Placibe (@epicm0ds) August 22, 2025
And they want to be in charge of shaping young minds?
This isn’t just about one teacher’s bad judgment. It’s about a systemic, open hostility toward conservative families, values, and voices — all playing out in taxpayer-funded classrooms. The Left loves to cry “indoctrination” when you suggest kids should learn the Constitution. But when a teacher literally calls a conservative student a potential dictator in front of the entire class? Crickets. Or worse — applause.
The student, to his credit, handled it with grace. Said it hurt, but laughed it off. Said it reveals a deeper problem in the education system. And he’s absolutely right. If your classmates — and your teacher — can’t tell the difference between a diplomat and a dictator, you don’t have a political problem. You have a civic education crisis.
So, ask yourself: what kind of future are we building when students are shamed for loving their country? When ROTC is equated with authoritarianism? When faith, family, and freedom are treated like punchlines instead of principles?
