Georgia confirms firing of teacher who read book about gender identity to class
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Cobb County teacher Katie Rinderle testifies at a hearing at the Cobb County Board of Education in Marietta on Aug. 10. Photo: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Arvin Temkar
The Georgia State Board of Education on Thursday upheld the termination of a Cobb County teacher who was fired last year for reading a book about gender identity to her students.
Why it matters: Katie Rinderle's firing was the first known case of a Georgia educator losing their job in relation to a state law that restricts what teachers can introduce in the classroom.
Catch up quick: Last year, Rinderle was removed from the classroom after a parent complained about the teacher reading "My Shadow Is Purple," her attorney Craig Goodmark previously told Axios.
- Rinderle, who read the book to her fifth-grade class, purchased the book last year from a district-approved book fair, her attorney says.
- The book includes a six-year-old child and tells a "heartwarming" story of "being true to yourself," according to its description.
- Last August, the Cobb County Board of Education voted to terminate Rinderle's employment, despite a tribunal panel's recommendation that she should keep her job.
- Rinderle appealed the termination to the state BOE in September of last year.
What they're saying: A Cobb County School District spokesperson said in a statement sent to Axios, "We are grateful that the State Board of Education took the opportunity to review the situation in detail and, having studied all the available material, confirmed our district's actions."
- The other side: "The decision sends a troubling message to educators, students and families across Georgia that teachers risk their employment simply by teaching inclusion and acceptance," Mike Tafelski, senior supervising attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a statement.
Since she was fired, Rinderle spoke at an event in October to kick off Banned Books Week and participated in a read aloud event of "My Shadow is Purple" at Charis Books & More in Decatur.
Zoom in: Three bills signed into law in 2022 prohibit the teaching of what some call "divisive concepts." The bills also give parents the right to review classroom instructional materials and remove obscene items from school libraries.
- Two weeks after firing Rinderle, Cobb County schools removed two additional books — "Flamer" by Mike Curato and Jesse Andrews' "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" — from library shelves after Libs of TikTok, an outside, conservative activist organization, asked if they were "appropriate" for students.
The big picture: State legislatures across the country have passed laws prohibiting schools from teaching critical race theory, sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Bans on critical race theory and limiting how racial issues are taught in conservative-leaning states and school districts have led some educators to stop teaching Black history lessons.
Meanwhile: Rinderle, along with fellow educator Tonya Grimmke and the Georgia Association of Educators, filed a federal lawsuit on Feb. 13 against the Cobb school district over its "vague censorship policies" in how it enforces the state's ban on teaching.
- No hearings have been scheduled in the case.
Axios has reached out to Rinderle's attorney, Goodmark, for comment.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from the Cobb County School district.