Teacher Fired For TikTok Posts Sues Principal, Superintendent

BOURNE, MA — A Bourne School Committee member who is running for state Senate filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Hanover Public School Superintendent Matthew A. Ferron and Hanover High School Principal Matthew Mattos in U.S. Federal Court in Boston last week.

Kari MacRae's lawsuit, which was filed on her behalf by the conservative advocacy group Judicial Watch, claims she was fired after media reports in September about the videos she posted on TikTok began during her campaign for the Bourne School Committee election on May 18.

In a video posted on the day of the election, MacRae said she was running for school committee to make sure students "are not being taught critical race theory" and "they're not being taught that they can choose whether or not they want to be a girl or a boy." The video as well as other posts cited in her termination have since been taken down, and MacRae's profile is no longer publicly visible on the video-sharing social network.

Patch asked Ferron and Mattos for comment and will update this story when they respond. In a Sept. 29 termination letter MacRae shared with the Cape Cod Times in October, Mattos said the school it was exercising its option to terminate her without cause in the first 90 days of employment as a math and business teacher. "(C)ontinuing your employment in light of your social media posts would have a significant negative impact on student learning at HHS," Mattos wrote.

In the complaint filed Nov. 29, MacRae accuses Mattos and Ferron of violating her First Amendment right to free speech. After the Bourne teachers union began calling for MacRae to resign from the school committee in September, Mattos placed MacRae on paid administrative leave and opened an investigation into the concerns raised about the videos.

"On information and belief, Plaintiff’s social media posts did not cause any disruptions in the classroom. Nor did Defendant Mattos inform Plaintiff that any disruptions occurred," MacRae's complaint said. "On information and belief, no Hanover High School parent or student raised concerns about Plaintiff’s employment at Hanover High School because of the social media posts. Nor did Defendant Mattos inform Plaintiff of any raised concerns."

Last month, MacRae launched her campaign to challenge Democratic state Sen. Susan Moran in next year's election.