DeKalb Superintendent Green Slams 'Misleading' Reports About Ex-Employees

DECATUR, GA — The head of the DeKalb County School District has come out with a stinging rebuke of "misleading news reports" that said three educators were fired for pro-Trump sentiments. (For more news and updates on this and other stories in DeKalb County, click here to get Patch's daily newsletter and free, real-time news alerts.)

Some websites were reporting that teachers and faculty of DeKalb schools — one of the most diverse districts in the country — were being warned not to express unity with Trump's immigration policies. Several articles online report that educators were being cautioned by DeKalb school officials not to express their opinions on or off campus.

The comments come as rhetoric against and for President Donald Trump's policies reaches a fever pitch around the country.

DeKalb Superintendent Stephen Green said Thursday that not only is the story wrong but that he was never contacted for comment.

"A conservative news and opinion website and online news aggregator has falsely reported that DeKalb County School District employees have been fired for their political views,"Green said in a statement. "It is important to know that this outlet never contacted the District or me to discuss the facts."

DeKalb's public schools and the families of many of its students have been the focal point after the Trump administration hardened its stance against undocumented immigrants in late January.

Green issued a statement shortly after that reaffirming to parents and students that DeKalb schools would continue to be "safe places" for children of all races and colors to learn.

The statement was seen as controversial to many who see the stances of public officials as a referendum on Trump's ideologies. Green has said in the wake of the statements he's even gotten death threats.

But on Thursday, he expressed strong condemnation of what he described as online reports — at least one of them referring to a school nurse who allegedly wrote "Go back to Mexico" on Facebook — and comments that "negatively" affected those in DeKalb schools.

"The article inaccurately represents the voluntary departure of three school district employees, two teachers and one nurse," Green said. "These former employees had been investigated by our school system for comments suggesting DeKalb students with immigrant backgrounds faced deportation. Unfortunately, these comments were publicly available to students and families and negatively impacted the employees’ effectiveness in their schools."

Green said that the three former employees "received full due process" and left voluntarily without termination.

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