Cobb graduate Maariya Sheikh at press conference — Photo by Rebecca Gaunt

By Rebecca Gaunt

Cobb County students, alums, and members of the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition held a press conference Thursday to discuss their decision to join a federal discrimination lawsuit against Cobb County School District, alleging discrimination against LGBTQ students and political persecution of educators.

Other plaintiffs include Katie Rinderle, who was fired last year for reading a gender-themed picture book to her class, special education teacher Tonya Grimmke, and the Georgia Association of Educators.

Read more here: Lawsuit accuses Cobb County School District of violating teachers’ Constitutional rights 

At a press conference held outside the school district headquarters, the speakers detailed the reasons for the federal lawsuit against the school district and the two pending complaints with the U.S. Department of Education that alleged the school district violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“We have decided to take a stand against bigotry. We allege that by banning references to transgender and LGBTQ people from classroom libraries and discussions, Cobb County illegally discriminates against LGBTQ students in violation of the Equal Protection Clause, Title IX, and  the First Amendment,” said attorney Harry Chiu.

At previous board meetings, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale has attributed the pushback against his decision to remove certain books from the schools to outsiders and political activists. Recent Cobb graduate Maariya Sheikh disagreed.

“This is the voice of countless students, parents, and community members standing up to systemic racism, entrenched bias, and a disregard for our own community,” Sheikh said.

Asked what she had witnessed as a student, she said, “Students have communicated to me and to others that they do feel intimidated and threatened just by what goes on at the board, how the board is so vocal and unafraid to communicate their bigotry and their exclusion against LGBTQ+ students.”

From the press release:

For generations, public schools have been places where students have been taught how to think for themselves and were given the tools needed to succeed in a complicated world. But over the last few years, Cobb County School District Leadership has radically restricted the freedom that students, parents, and teachers have in defining what high-quality education looks like in our communities. Politicians on the board have fired a teacher for giving students access to inclusive books, and have intimidated teachers all in order to censor what we can and cannot learn because they don’t like that the books feature diverse, inclusive subjects and characters who reflect the students and families within Cobb County today. 

Since the politicians on the board refuse to listen to us in their meetings, high school students and young voters in Cobb County, in partnership with the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), have been forced to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education. In our complaint, we allege that the board is violatingTitle IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In May, Cobb County students and the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition for Action joined educators Katie Rinderle, Tonya Grimmke, and the Georgia Association of Educators in a federal lawsuit against the school district to stop its unconstitutional and unlawful discrimination against LGBTQ+ students and political persecution of inclusive, experienced educators.

Rebecca Gaunt earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Oglethorpe University. After teaching elementary school for several years, she returned to writing. She lives in Marietta with her husband, son, two cats, and a dog. In her spare time, she loves to read, binge Netflix and travel.