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This is one case where a leftist was shown the door. Cobb County School Board fired fifth-grade teacher Katie Rinderle for flaunting the law and reading an LGBT book to her class. She violated the Peach State’s Divisive Concepts Law that bans material with sexual and racial content. Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed it into law April 2022. Four members of the board voted to fire her.
The teacher thought this was important
The governor said politics don’t belong in the classroom or the ball field. The district superintendent, Chris Ragsdale was among the four people who voted to fire the teacher. The school board’s decision overrode the vote of former teachers who got together ahead of the case.
It’s expected that former teachers would vote to allow Rinderle to keep her job but this is the current school board. The board’s action should hold sway.
Teacher broke the law
Rinderle broke the law in the spring by reading the gay-themed book “My Shadow Is Purple,” by Scott Stuart. Rinderle fell on her sword, sacrificing herself for the movement. She had ten years tenure.
The Southern Poverty Law Center was shocked she lost her job over this and wailed that the book was merely “inclusive and affirming.” Rinderle put out a statement,
“I am disappointed in the district’s decision to terminate me for reading an inclusive and affirming book — one that is representative of diverse student identities. The district is sending a harmful message that not all students are worthy of affirmation in being their unapologetic and authentic selves. This decision, based on intentionally vague policies, will result in more teachers self-censoring in fear of not knowing where the invisible line will be drawn. Censorship perpetuates harm and students deserve better.”
Attorney for the teacher
Her attorney, Craig Goodmark, said “There is no legitimate explanation for this termination. To fire a teacher under a law that no two people could agree on is wrong. Ms. Rinderle, like other Georgia educators, does not know where the lines are drawn when it comes to sensitive, controversial, or divisive concepts. After two days of trial, we still do not know.”
The teacher claimed she asked the students to choose a book and they chose “My Shadow Is Purple.” Regardless whether the kids picked it or she did, it violates the law. Ragsdale said she “violated Georgia’s 2022 classroom censorship law banning so-called divisive concepts, mostly about race, even though legal advocates say the law is vague and contradicts the U.S. Constitution.”
