COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A former fifth-grade teacher in Cobb County is fighting to regain her job after being terminated by the school board.
Katherine Rinderle's dismissal followed a controversial decision to read a book about gender identity to her class without parental permission, leading to a 4-3 vote by the Cobb County school board to fire her.
The ex-Du West Elementary teacher argues that her students chose the book in question and was part of the school book fair, making it a legitimate classroom resource. However, some parents raised objections to its content.
"This was politics, unfortunately. This was the culture wars come home to Cobb County," Craig Goodmark, Rinderle's attorney, said following the decision. He further expressed Rinderle's confusion regarding the vague terms and limits of the laws and policies used to justify her termination.
Georgia HB 1084, often referred to as the "divisive concepts" law, makes certain classroom discussions illegal. The Cobb County School Board considered Rinderle's decision to introduce a book featuring a non-binary character as a violation of this law.
Despite the potentially lengthy process, Goodmark emphasized Rinderle's determination to uphold civil liberties and rights.
"She was fired for sticking up for people who may be different or who may be having a difficult time in the school community," Goodmark said. "The appeals may take time, but Katie is determined. She wanted to be a teacher in Cobb County. She had given everything to that. She's going to be a teacher again in Georgia."