Teacher fired for reading ‘divisive’ children’s gender identity book to class

The Cobb County school board in Atlanta, Georgia voted 4-3 on Thursday (17 August) to fire Katie Rinderle, who had been a teacher at Due West Elementary School for 10 years.

Rinderle was removed from her classroom in March after a parent complained she’d read “My Shadow is Purple” by Scott Stuart. The heartwarming children’s book explores identity and gender beyond the binary, and it features a non-binary character.

“The district is pleased that this difficult issue has concluded; we are very serious about keeping our classrooms focused on teaching, learning, and opportunities for success for students. The board’s decision is reflective of that mission,” the Republican-majority board said in a statement.

The district claimed the teacher violated at least six district policies and administrative rules, which include two policies based on Georgia laws. One restricts instruction of nebulously-defined “divisive concepts”, and another aims to provide greater tr