by Rebecca Gaunt
The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) joined a fired elementary school teacher and a currently-employed special education teacher in filing a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the Cobb County School District over its “vague” policies created after the Georgia legislature passed the ‘divisive concepts’ law in 2022.
The complaint alleges that the district engages in “arbitrary, discriminatory, and retaliatory enforcement against educators, like Plaintiffs, who support LGBTQ students.” Additionally, it claims the district’s policy training is inadequate, and that CCSD has created a hostile environment for LGBTQ students and teachers who provide safe and inclusive environments.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, names Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, all seven school board members, and the head of employee relations, Chris Dowd, as defendants.
From the news release:
The complaint describes how the district’s policies on “controversial issues” 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.
“The school board’s decision to fire me undermines students’ freedom to learn and teachers’ ability to teach,” (Katie) Rinderle said. “Many 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.”
The complaint also states that Rinderle’s termination is illegal retaliation in violation of Title IX – the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools.
The board majority, which consists of Republicans Randy…
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