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.”

  • Throwaway@lemm.ee
    12119·
    2 years ago

    Good shit. Elementary school kids don’t need to hear that nonsense.

    • Kittengineer@lemmy.world
      487·
      2 years ago

      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.

        • posedexposed@lemmynsfw.com
          121·
          2 years ago

          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.

          • Throwaway@lemm.ee
            220·
            2 years ago

            So what if they aren’t a manly man or a girly girl? That doesn’t mean you need to change gender. You can teach kids to be themselves without bringing self-harm into it.

            • Kittengineer@lemmy.world
              131·
              2 years ago

              You can teach kids to be themselves without bringing self-harm into it.

              That’s exactly what the book teaches…

            • posedexposed@lemmynsfw.com
              101·
              2 years ago

              Can you not tell the difference between “self-acceptance of not following gender norms” and “electing for sex reassignment surgery” because your comments sound like you’re oblivious to the SEVERAL steps between those things.

              Imagine insinuating that informing kids about non-gender conformity has literally anything to do with pushing surgery on them.

        • Cryptic Fawn@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          103·
          2 years ago

          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.

    • jeffw@lemmy.worldOPM
      183·
      2 years ago

      I think most 10 year olds know what gender and sexuality are. I had sex ed in 5th or 6th grade

      • BOMBS@lemmy.world
        121·
        2 years ago

        yep, i had sex ed starting in 4th grade. im still a straight male, so maybe it didn’t work?? /s

      • 3L54@lemmy.world
        631·
        2 years ago

        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.

        • Cryptic Fawn@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          152·
          2 years ago

          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.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
          61·
          2 years ago

          There is no such thing as “biological gender.” You’re talking about sex. Gender is a social construct. That you don’t even know that suggests you’re way out of your element here.

      • kier@lemmy.worldEnglish
        32·
        2 years ago

        And most adult trans people wish they transitioned before puberty. Puberty mess sh*t up 😅