A Beverly Hills teacher has been fired for posting anti-Trump content on social media, she claims.
Joanie Garratt spent more than three decades teaching for the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD), most recently as a long-term AP US History substitute.
But she says she was fired on November 13, less than a month before her planned retirement on December 5.
Her lawyer claims that the cause of her termination was a Facebook post in which Garratt wrote she was “disheartened” by a march at Beverly Hills High School on November 6 in support of President-elect Donald Trump.
During the demonstration, Make America Great Again supporters “harassed & intimidated many other non-MAGA students and specifically targeted the class where the Black Student Union was meeting, yelling all kinds of racial slurs,” she wrote, according to KTLA 5.
“Some students arrived at school truly upset & even crying only to be bullied later by their classmates,” Garratt continued. “And don’t blame the administration for this. They are dealing with it. This comes from their leader, His Majesty, King Trump.”
Later, the district’s superintendent called her to let her know the post led to her dismissal, “citing no further explanation,” her attorney announced in a news release.
“Garratt never discussed Trump, the election or the pro-Trump students’ demonstration in her classes. Her comment was made on her own Facebook account, on her own time, and is a prime example of political speech that’s protected under the First Amendment and California labor and education codes,” the release stated.
“Joanie’s post, which criticized harassment at the rally and attributed student conduct to political rhetoric whipped up 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 in BHUSD years ago and was serving and remains a substitute teacher in the District. No action was taken to dismiss her or any other employee in the last month,” he reportedly wrote in a statement.
“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 accountability. 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 trust these facts will clarify this matter.”
