State school board upholds firing of Cobb teacher who read book about gender to class

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia School Board of Education has upheld the Cobb County School District’s decision to fire a teacher who read a book about gender to her class of fifth graders.

Katie Rinderle was removed from her classroom in March after reading “My Shadow is Purple” to her class. She was formally fired by the school board in August.

In the state board’s meeting on Thursday, they agreed with the school board and dismissed Rinderle’s appeal of their decision.

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Earlier this month, Channel 2 Action News obtained a copy of a federal lawsuit that Rinderle and the Georgia Association of Educators filed against the school district in an effort to get her job back.

The lawsuit claims that the school district was too vague in its censorship policies and did not define what topics were “divisive, controversial and sensitive.”

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They claim that the school district never told Rinderle or other teachers that discussions of LGTBQ issues or gender identity were “prohibited from classroom discussions.”

The federal lawsuit also calls for Rinderle to receive monetary damages for emotional distress, humiliation and more.

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Cobb Co. teacher fired after reading book that challenges gender norms to fifth grade students

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