11-Year-Old Allegedly Shamed For Picking Trump As ‘Hero’ For School Project

An 11-year-old from Long Island, New York, claimed she was shamed for picking President Donald Trump as her “hero” for her school project.

When Bella Moscato, studying in Samoset Middle School in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, was asked to pick someone she idolized for a class project, she told News 12 that it was a no-brainer for her. "Donald Trump is my hero," she said.

Moscato had been idolizing Trump since she was eight. She even dressed up as the 45th president for a third-grade class project. However, when she decided to pick him again this time, she said her teacher told her that she could not do it.

“She said that I wasn’t allowed to do Donald Trump because he spreads negativity and says bad stuff about women,” the sixth-grader said. “She was OK with someone doing Barack Obama, but not OK with [me] doing Donald Trump? That’s what got me angry.”

The teacher not only shot down her top choice but also mocked her in front of other classmates and another teacher. The child’s mother said she was furious when her daughter called her from the school and told her what had happened.

“My daughter’s hero is the president of our country. I can’t believe anybody at the school would tell my daughter that guy can’t be her hero. I’m incensed by this. My daughter has every right to do and pick a hero of her choice. It’s a First Amendment right, freedom of speech, freedom of expression,” Moscato’s mother said.

The sixth-grader’s father also got “incensed” after hearing that his daughter was told she could not choose Trump as her hero for the school project and complained about it to the school’s board members in a meeting last week.

Sachem Central School District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Graham issued the following statement, disputing Moscato’s version of events: “It is not accurate that this student was told that they were not allowed to conduct research or report on any individual for a school assignment, including President Trump. To the best of our knowledge, by choice the student is still conducting their project of President Trump."

The statement only enraged Moscato’s father further. “My story was said to be unaccurate [sic] by you,” Moscato said during the school board meeting, Yahoo News reported. “My story was not unaccurate [sic]. My daughter didn’t lie.”

The 11-year-old was eventually allowed to do her project on the hero of her choice. In the project titled “What Is A Hero To You?” Moscato wrote, “Donald Trump has helped millions of people by creating a great economy. He is fighting every day to protect the people from thugs crossing the border.”

A number of social media users have since called the incident a hoax after pointing out that Moscato was an actress who had an IMDB page.