A substitute teacher and teacher’s aide at Mildred B. Poole Elementary School, located on Fort Bragg in North Carolina, has been dismissed from their position after a series of formal complaints were lodged by parents of pre-K and kindergarten students. The school, which falls under the purview of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), caters to children of military families stationed across the country.
The issue came to light in early 2025 when parents began expressing concerns about the teacher’s conduct in the classroom. Reports from CBN disclosed that the teacher, a biological male, adopted female names and was observed wearing clothing often associated with BDSM, such as a dog collar and an animal tail, during school hours. Additionally, Fox News reported that the teacher had told students about transforming into a wolf at night and had required them to address him by various "wolf" names, including "Roxxanne Wildheart," "Captain Roxxie," and others.
Students relayed to their parents that they were instructed to howl like wolves and were introduced to the teacher’s online wolf character personas. The Heartlander detailed accounts from concerned parents who said their children exhibited fear and anxiety, with one kindergartner expressing fear that the teacher might come to eat her, a notion stemming from the teacher’s alleged claims of nightly transformations.
The controversy escalated when parents, initially dissatisfied with the school administration's response, sought assistance from Liberty Counsel, a legal organization. Liberty Counsel contended that the teacher’s behavior contravened President Donald Trump's executive order from January 2025, which affirmed legal protections based on biological gender. A demand letter dated February 9 accused the teacher of engaging in disturbing conduct over the course of a year and violating Pentagon guidelines on military readiness.
Mat Staver, founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, accused the school administrators of permitting behavior that infringed upon the rights of the children and their parents, and urged federal officials to safeguard the children. In response to the complaint, the DoDEA severed the employment relationship with the teacher and began a coordinated review of the incident.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the teacher's dismissal on February X, 2026, stating, "The 'Wolf' was fired 2 weeks ago," in a post shared on Twitter. The social media response was immediate, with users expressing concern over the delay in dismissal and the initial hiring process.
Moving forward, Staver has recommended the DoDEA consider establishing a task force to address what he calls "dangerous gender ideology" within the educational system.
