Georgia teacher fired for reading a book to class about gender identity

A teacher in Georgia was fired Thursday for reading a book about gender identity to her fifth-grade class last school year. 

The Cobb County School Board voted along party lines in a 4-3 vote to terminate Katie Rinderle for reading “My Shadow Is Purple” by Scott Stuart at Due West Elementary School in March. 

“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’s decision is reflective of that mission,” the Republican-majority board said in a statement. 

The teacher was fired for violating the school’s policy against teaching controversial issues after parents complained she read the book in class. 

The district superintendent supported the board’s decision, but a panel of three retired educators who reviewed the issue earlier this month did not. The panel agreed Rinderle broke policy but should not be fired. 

“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,” Rinderle said in a statement through the Southern Poverty Law Center. “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.”

In a meeting with reporters after the decision, Rinderle’s lawyer, Craig Goodmark, said Rinderle still has multiple options moving forward, The Associated Press reported. 

Rinderle still has her teaching license and can go to another school, or she can appeal her firing to the state Board of Education, Goodmark said. 

“There is no legitimate explanation for this termination,” Goodmark said. “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.”

Controversy over what educators can teach in classrooms has reached a peak in recent years. Many Republican-led states have passed bans on “controversial topics” in classrooms including critical race theory, gender identity and sexual orientation.