澳彩开奖

COBB COUNTY, Ga.聽鈥� In the first聽federal lawsuit聽challenging classroom censorship policies in Georgia, educators are suing the Cobb County School District for discrimination after fifth-grade gifted specialist Katie Rinderle was terminated last year for reading聽My Shadow is Purple, an age-appropriate picture book about self-acceptance and navigating gender stereotypes, to her class.

罢丑别听lawsuit聽was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on behalf of Rinderle, Tonya Grimmke, a current Cobb County educator, and the Georgia Association of Educators, which serves more than 1,600 educators in Cobb County Schools. The complaint describes how the district鈥檚 policies on 鈥渃ontroversial issues鈥� have been used to unlawfully discipline educators for mentioning LGBTQ+ and gender-nonconforming people and their experiences in the classroom, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

鈥淭he school board鈥檚 decision to fire me undermines students鈥� freedom to learn and teachers鈥� ability to teach,鈥� Rinderle said. 鈥淢any CCSD educators, including Ms. Grimmke and I, are committed to creating inclusive, diverse and empowering environments free from discrimination and harm, ensuring LGBTQ+ students feel safe, affirmed, and centered in their learning journey because that is what our children deserve.鈥�

Rinderle and Grimmke are members of the聽聽(GAE) and are represented by attorneys from the , the Law Offices of Gerry Weber, the聽澳彩开奖聽(澳彩开奖), the聽聽(NEA) and the聽听(厂贰贵).

Craig Goodmark, who represented Ms. Rinderle at her termination hearing, explained, 鈥淭he board鈥檚 decision to fire Ms. Rinderle is not only wrong, it violates federal anti-discrimination law.鈥�

The lawsuit challenges the unconstitutionally vague policies used to justify Rinderle鈥檚 termination and that discourage educators in the school district from providing inclusive learning environments for their students. The lawsuit states that Rinderle鈥檚 termination is illegal retaliation in violation of Title IX 鈥� the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools.

鈥淭he district鈥檚 vague and discriminatory censorship policies are rooted in bigotry and have no place in our schools,鈥� said 澳彩开奖 Senior Supervising Attorney Mike Tafelski. 鈥淲e will continue to hold the district accountable for its ongoing unlawful conduct which harms our students, teachers and community.鈥�

The district adopted the policies in response to the passage of HB 1084, HB 1178 and SB 226 鈥� a trio of classroom censorship laws signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in April 2022. These laws were part of a tidal wave of legislation passed across the nation that censors discussions about gender, race and sexual orientation in schools and classrooms. As of Nov. 1, 2023, at least聽聽had passed restrictions on teaching about race and gender.

鈥淓very child deserves access to a great education and a safe learning environment, no matter their race, gender identity, or background. We need to let teachers do what they do best: helping all of our children reach their full potential,鈥� said Harry Chiu, legal fellow and attorney for SEF.

鈥淏ooks are for all of us. Censoring books written about and by mostly Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ people denies students the ability to see themselves and understand our similarities and our differences,鈥� said NEA General Counsel Alice O鈥橞rien. 鈥淲e applaud Katie and Tonya for standing up for their students and for taking bold, legal action against politicians who want to ban books and mischaracterize what educators teach in our schools.鈥�

鈥淪ince its founding, GAE has been deeply rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion as an organization,鈥� said Michael McGonigle, general counsel for the Georgia Association of Educators. 鈥淲e understand that public education policies rooted in these universal values best serve all Georgia children. Public education is not a zero-sum game. This lawsuit is a decisive step to ensuring that every classroom provides a safe, and welcoming learning environment for all students 鈥� one that is rich in critical thinking and collaborative emotional learning regardless of race, gender identity, or socioeconomic status.鈥�

The lawsuit seeks an injunction blocking the enforcement of the district鈥檚 censorship policies, as well as damages and additional relief for Rinderle, including her reinstatement.