A substitute teacher at Beverly Hills High School was fired after she shared a post on Facebook criticizing Donald Trump and denouncing students’ actions at a MAGA rally on campus where Black students reported being harassed. said that it was done.
Joanie Garratt retired last year after teaching in the Beverly Hills Unified School District for nearly 30 years. She began her month-long substitute teaching job on Nov. 4 and said she was furious when she received a call from the assistant superintendent on Wednesday to be fired. She said her online political posts were cited as a reason for her dismissal.
“I was shocked. I thought I would get a warning,” she told the Times. “I didn’t say anything [about Trump] During class. I know I’m not supposed to say anything during class. But I’m tired of MAGA, and Beverly Hills High School has become MAGA. ”
A district spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment on Garratt’s firing.
Last week, a group of mostly male students held a raucous pro-Trump rally at Beverly Hills High School. Students wore “Make America Great Again” T-shirts and hats, carried at least two cardboard cutouts of President Trump, and cheered as school security brandished a Trump banner.
At a recent board meeting, about a dozen black students voiced concerns about the gathering, saying they were being subjected to harassment, intimidation and racial slurs. Last week, BHHS Principal Drew Stewart sent a message to families saying the school will protect students’ right to free speech, but will limit large gatherings to ensure all students feel safe on campus. said.
On Nov. 7, Garratt posted on Facebook that pro-Trump students had “harassed and threatened many other non-MAGA students, specifically targeting classes where the Black Student Union had gathered, and engaging in all sorts of He continued to shout racial slurs.”
“Some students arrived at school really upset and crying, but were then bullied by their classmates,” she added. She wrote that Trump, not the administration, is responsible for this action.
Among other recent posts and comments, she said she was “ashamed to be American” and that Trump supporters “worship fascists.” Garratt, who is Jewish, also said some Jews have “aligned themselves with the devil” in supporting Trump.
The educator had a history of anti-Trump posts on Facebook before being asked to serve as a substitute teacher.
On Wednesday night, she posted that she had been fired from her role, writing, “I wear this as a badge of honor and honor all the people past and present who would be persecuted for voicing their opinions in public.” I support all teachers.” Shame on BHUSD. ”
Other teachers in Southern California are also under scrutiny for their reactions to the election.
In Moreno Valley, a high school teacher was placed on leave after a racist anti-Trump riot broke out in her classroom and she said many of the Latino men who support Trump want to be white.
ABC7 reports that a teacher at Cerritos High School allegedly left the classroom because one of her students was wearing MAGA clothing.
But unlike those two incidents, Garratt said she did not share her political views in the classroom.
At Tuesday’s board meeting, several black students at the high school said the school already had issues with racism, and the problems worsened during the election.
“I have had to deal with a lot of racism in my life, but coming to Beverly [Hills High School]unfortunately I had to go through a lot more,” said Journey Burrell Williams, president of the Black Student Union. “I told myself to get used to it and ignore it, but during election week it became just impossible to ignore.”
Teacher Vera Ivory said she felt scared as students gathered outside the classroom where she was helping facilitate a Black Student Council meeting last week, shouting hateful slurs.
Several board members expressed regret over reports of student behavior during the meeting, and Supt. Michael Breggie said he would be contacting those who spoke at the meeting and concerned parents. .
