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A Beverly Hills the teacher was fired for publication anti–Trump content on social networks, she claims.
Joanie Garratt has spent more than three decades teaching for the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD), most recently as a long-term substitute for AP US History.
But she says she was fired on Nov. 13, less than a month before her scheduled Dec. 5 retirement.
Her attorney claims the reason for her termination was a Facebook post in which Garratt wrote that she was “disheartened” by the Nov. 6 march at Beverly Hills High School in support of President-elect Donald Trump.
During the demonstration, Make America Great Again supporters “harassed and intimidated many other non-MAGA students and specifically targeted a class where the Black Student Union was meeting, yelling all kinds of racial slurs,” she wrote, according to KTLA 5.
“Some students came to school really upset and even in tears only to be bullied later by their classmates,” Garratt continued. “And don’t blame the administration for this. They deal with it. This comes from their leader, His Majesty King Trump.”
She was later called by the district superintendent to tell her that the job led to her dismissal, “without further explanation,” her attorney said in a news release.
“Garratt never discussed Trump, the election, or the pro-Trump student demonstrations in her classes. Her comment was made on her Facebook account, in her free time, and is a prime example of political speech that is protected by the First Amendment and California’s labor and education laws,” the statement said.
“Joanie’s post, which criticizes the harassment at the rally and attributes the students’ behavior to political rhetoric created as part of Donald Trump’s re-election strategy, is constitutionally protected speech,” the attorney added.
However, Superintendent Michael Bregy disagreed with that characterization.
“Ms. Garratt retired from full-time teaching at BHUSD several years ago and has served and continues to serve as a substitute teacher in the District. No action has been taken to fire her or any other employee in the last month,” the statement said.
“Our focus remains on fostering an educational environment where students and staff are respected and valued,” he added. “We encourage meaningful discussions that prioritize mutual understanding, respect and responsibility.” BHUSD will continue to uphold its standards and policies to ensure that our schools are spaces where all voices can be expressed thoughtfully and responsibly.
“We believe these facts will clear this matter up.”