A Middle School Teacher Almost Got Fired From Her Job Because of Her Instagram Photos

October 27, 2015

A middle school teacher in North Sanpete, Utah, was given an ultimatum after the school district found out that her alias Instagram account featured pictures of her modeling for bodybuilding competitions.

Mindi Jensen is the mother of four and a successful fitness model.

While many would call her an inspiration, her school district told her that if she didn’t switch her Instagram account to private, she would be fired from her job, according to Fox 4.

Jensen told reporters that before she began her fitness career she was utterly depressed. She said she was very unhealthy after her divorce and was down to a slim 100 pounds.

She told reporters that she wanted to become healthy again so she started focusing on fitness:

“I thought with my body being stronger maybe it would soak into my emotions, my heart and my brain and strengthen that so I started fitness.”

She used her alias Instagram account as a way to portray her transformation publically and record her success as a bodybuilder.

Her intent was not for her middle school students to find her account, but while social media is valuable for promotion purposes, it also exposed Jensen’s ulterior life:

“These kids found it and the parents were appalled by the pictures they called it immodest. They called it pornographic. They called the pictures inappropriate and these are my fitness and show pictures in my sport, in my uniform in my bodybuilding sport.”

Jensen, however, was not ashamed of her life outside of the classroom but rather proud of it:

“Why are my rights being taken away and not the child’s right? It’s between the parent and the child. Put restrictions on your children. If you are not comfortable with seeing me in my fitness uniform on stage posing then take that away from your kid. Don’t take it away from me.”

As soon as media outlets got a hold of her story, the school district backed away from their initial ultimatum. They apologized for any misunderstandings and let Jensen keep her job. Jensen explained:

“I get women, single woman, single mommas that message me, even on Instagram they will message me and tell me that what they read and what they see that I’m doing has inspired them to be healthier, has inspired them to leave a bad situation, to build strength.”

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