COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Cobb County Board of Education has filed an appeal against a judge’s ruling that reversed the expulsion of a middle school student who reported an online threat.
The student, identified as G.D., was expelled from Campbell Middle School after alerting fellow students to a threat he saw online, which later turned out to be false. A judge ruled in November that G.D. did not intentionally cause a disruption and ordered his reinstatement.
“Their rights are being trampled by a district with a multi-million-dollar legal budget and one that can get away with it,” said Mike Tafelski with Southern Poverty Law Center, who represents G.D.’s family.
The case began last year following a deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School, which heightened sensitivities around school safety.
The district claimed that G.D.’s actions caused a disruption and violated school policy, leading to his expulsion.
After the expulsion, G.D., who is autistic, moved in with his grandmother to be closer to the alternative school he was attending, said his lawyer, Mike Tafelski from the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The student, who is now in high school, has served his punishment. The Cobb County Board of Education is now seeking to reverse the judge’s decision by appealing to the Georgia Court of Appeals.
“They have a tendency to waste district resources taxpayer dollars defending punitive and unlawful decisions,” Tafelski said.
The district’s Chief Strategy and Accountability Officer stated that rumors on social media cost educators and police significant resources, emphasizing the challenges of maintaining student safety.
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