DECATUR, GEORGIA - Katie Rinderle attends the MoveOn Political Action’s Banned Book Mobile event with local authors and teachers on October 01, 2023 in Decatur, Georgia. The MoveOn Banned Book Mobile is handing out frequently banned books for free t …
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - The Georgia Court of Appeals has upheld the firing of Katie Rinderle, a former Cobb County elementary school teacher who read a book on gender fluidity to her fifth-grade class in 2023.
What we know:
The court affirmed on March 12 a Cobb County Superior Court decision issued in January 2025 that upheld her termination.
She has until April 1 to appeal the Georgia Court of Appeals decision.
The Cobb County School Board voted 4-3 to fire Rinderle in August 2023 for reading "My Shadow is Purple" by Scott Stuart to her class at Due West Elementary School.
The Georgia Board of Education upheld Rinderle's firing in February 2024.
The backstory:
Rinderle made national headlines, prompting a hearing before the school board over the decision.
During the hearing, Rinderle said that, out of several options, her students chose to read the book she picked up at a recent school book fair.
In August 2023, when the school board voted to fire Rinderle, the decision overrode the recommendation of a panel of three retired educators.
The panel, after a two-day hearing, found that Rinderle had violated district policies but said she should not be fired.
Dig deeper:
Rinderle and Tonya Grimmke have filed a lawsuit against the Cobb County School District, backed by the Georgia Association of Educators.
In the suit, the pair claim the school district's policies on "controversial issues" have been used to unlawfully discipline educators who mention LGBTQ+ and gender-nonconforming people in their classrooms. They say it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
What we don't know:
It is unclear whether Rinderle plans to file an appeal.
RELATED:
- Georgia Board upholds firing of Cobb County teacher over children's book
- Cobb County educators sue school district citing sex discrimination, wrongful termination
- Cobb County teacher fired over children's book appealing termination
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Georgia Court of Appeals filings and prior FOX 5 reporting.