A decision to fire an elementary school teacher from Georgia has been upheld, after she read a children’s book on gender identity to her fifth-grade class earlier this year.
The Cobb County School Board of Education voted 4-3 along party lines to uphold Katie Rinderle’s termination, overruling a tribunal that had said she should not be fired. “The district is pleased that this difficult issue has concluded; we are very serious about keeping our classrooms focused on teaching, learning, and opportunities for success for students,” the board of education said in a statement Friday.
Rinderle worked at Due West Elementary School, in Marietta, Ga., and read the storybook “My Shadow Is Purple” by Australian author Scott Stuart to her class in March.
The picture-book is about a child who reflects on his mother’s shadow being “as pink as a blossoming cherry” and his father’s shadow that’s “blue as a berry,” and says their shadow is purple. Some parents complained, although Rinderle said others had also expressed their support for the lesson.
Rinderle, a teacher with 10 years’ experience, was removed from her classroom and the Cobb County School District accused her of violating the district’s policies on teaching controversial issues, and urged her to resign or face termination of employment. She was issued an official notice of termination on June 6.
Rinderle sought to overturn her firing, and a tribunal of retired educators, appointed by the Cobb County Board of Education, determined following a hearing that although she had violated district policies, she should not be fired.
However, on Thursday the Cobb County School Board of Education voted along partisan lines to reject the tribunal’s decision, with three Democrats opposing the decision to fire her and four Republican lawmakers upholding it.
School district lawyer Sherry Culves, speaking earlier this month at the hearing, argued that “the Cobb County School District is very serious about the classroom being a neutral place for students to learn. A one-sided viewpoint on political, religious or social beliefs does not belong in our classrooms.”
Good shit. Elementary school kids don’t need to hear that nonsense.
I think most 10 year olds know what gender and sexuality are. I had sex ed in 5th or 6th grade
Biological gender yes. But for such young children I think its more confusing than helpful to talk about a gender that is freely chosen by an adult on themselves.
But for such young children I think its more confusing than helpful to talk about a gender that is freely chosen by an adult on themselves.
My 11 year old niece just told me that no, it isn’t. I asked her. =) She doesn’t find the concept of gender confusing at all.
It’s moronic adults that are trying to pretend that it’s confusing that are causing the issues.
It exists and kids have a gender identity whether you hide it from them or not.
It’s the same broken logic that somehow sex education is somehow causing kids to have sex. Most guys don’t even realize how women pee, sex education has been so broken.
Republicans fucking love an ignorant populace.
This book does nothing of the sort, just says it’s ok to feel like you’re not one thing or the other. It’s not telling kids to go get surgery, ffs.
I’m not even touching the hot mess that is the rest of your comment.
Not everyone feels like a manly man or a girly girl. On another note, not everyone feels any empathy for people who aren’t like themselves, as you just demonstrated.
Teaching kids that some people feel different and not to stigmatize them is not the same as whatever nonsense you’re implying.
You haven’t read a single bit of the book in question, have you?
Quick, without using Google, do you even know the name of the book?
Mate, transitioning is like getting a face tattoo
Thanks for letting everyone know you’re full of shit.
it shouldn’t be taught to kids
You think trans kids are taught to be trans? With that shitty logic, we should be able to teach kids to be straight and cis… except wait, that doesn’t work either! Doh!
This book goes a step further and acts like its a good thing, and not a last resort for mentally ill suicidal people.
Ugh, go spread your filth on Truth Social.
The loony right is mad they’re losing their monopoly on teaching kids about sex and gender, which they absolutely do just badly and wrongly
demands neutral classroom
abolishes gender entirely
accidentally based
I’m a teacher. I bought this book for my own children. It’s a book about being true to yourself, even when you don’t feel like you fit in. You don’t have to be “blue” or “pink” if you feel like you fit into both categories.
Yes, it’s a book about being trans, but there are other ways to read the book, especially if your audience is young. Accepting and loving yourself. Inclusion. Tolerance. It’s a sweet book, and so of course people are going to get mad… it teaches kids acceptance, not hate!
Five people downvoted you. What the fuck is wrong with those people? How insecure can they be to downvote a comment like this and not even respond?
what was the point of the school board appointing a ‘tribunal’ if they had no intention of honoring its decision (if it didn’t go “their way”)?
