Tribunal deciding if reading a book to her class will cost Cobb teacher her job

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A book a Cobb County teacher says she bought at the school’s book fair could cost her her job.

Some parents were upset after Katie Rinderle read a book called “My Shadow is Purple” to her fifth-grade class.

A tribunal is now meeting to decide if Rinderle will get to keep her job.

Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell was at the tribunal that began on Thursday morning.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The tribunal heard from witnesses, teachers, investigators, and Rinderle herself. Some who didn’t know her were there to show their support.

“I’m feeling for Katie a lot. I think she shows a great deal of courage. She was just trying to do her job,” Dora Curry with the Teachers for Freedom Collective said.

During cross-examination, Rinderle was asked to read the description of “My Shadow is Purple.”

“This story considers gender beyond binary and a broad spectrum of color,” she read.

The district says Rinderle violated district policy and Georgia’s divisive concepts law.

“This was a book that I purchased with my funds at the school’s book fair, and I previewed the book, and I used my professional judgment,” Rinderle said.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Suspect barricaded inside midtown Atlanta apartment building, police say
• Metro Atlanta hospital where baby was decapitated claims infant died in utero prior to delivery
• Pilot dead after plane crashes in rural Ga. county

“We did establish that students were uncomfortable with the content that was discussed that day,” Christopher Dowd, Executive Director of Employee Relations and Evaluations, testified.

During the hearing, Rinderle’s attorney said the district is not transparent about what it found during the investigation, particularly the number of students interviewed.

“There’s no way for us to know that there’s four additional students. It’s just simply impossible that the district has insisted on giving us these redacted records,” attorney Craig Goodmark said.

The hearing will resume on Friday morning.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Cobb County teacher fighting to save her job after reading book to students

©2023 Cox Media Group