MEMPHIS, Tenn. (ABC Local 24) The Cordova High School principal placed on administrative leave after a controversial video is now suing Shelby County Schools, accusing the district of violating his First Amendment and contractual rights. $(document).ready(function () { WebCORDOVA HIGH SCHOOL 1800 Berryhill Road Cordova, TN 38016 Main Office: 416-4540 School Fax: 416-4545 Barton Thorne, Principal thornebl@scsk12.org Mary DeGruy, Vice Principal degruymm@scsk12.org SCHOOL DIRECTORY Attendance Office: 416-2085 Guidance Office: 416-2120 Registration: 416-2143 Records: 416-2119 Bilingual Mentor, ", Laura Testino covers education and children's issues for the Commercial Appeal. See how the students did below. Please visit this tutorial tologin and navigate Google Classroom. After three years, she accepted a job at Oakman High School. WebPrincipal Barton Thorne was suspended in mid-January by administrators for Shelby County Schools, the school district that governs Cordova High School. They claim district officials have refused to answer questions about when he will be allowed to return to school, or why he is being punished. Reach her at laura.testino@commercialappeal.com or 901-512-3763. That transition time between classes gave me an opportunity to have those conversations that helped me get to know them" she said. More photos of the school's athletes and band members are scattered in the main areas of the school. The cancel culture taking foot in America has now reached our schools, and I will not stand for it.. . The strength of the wolf is the pack. Copyright 2023 Liberty Justice Center. $(document).ready(function () { Home; About Us" Administrators; Family & Community Engagement Assistant Principal, 10th Grade. Absolutely disgusting that Thorne is subjected to fascist treatment by the school board. As leaders, we must be intentional about creating spaces for our students to discuss and process events that take place in our country and community., She called Thornes opinions extremely unfortunate.. Virginia parents argue school ambassador program is discriminatory. My second year, I got a classroom, and I got to know the kids a lot better. Therefore, I encourage all school leaders to meet with their teachers and staff to review these resources and determine the most appropriate ways to embed teachable moments into lessons and classroom conversations. A high school principal has been relieved of his duties at least temporarily after he criticized social media censorship to students this week. As much as Brown loved learning when she was a student, teaching was her second career choice. Make easy online payments. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (ABC Local 24) The Cordova High School principal placed on administrative leave after a controversial video is now suing Shelby County Schools, accusing the district of violating his First Amendment and contractual rights. In a recording obtained by WMC Action News 5, Thorne speaks to students and staff about freedom of speech after major social media platforms removed or blocked posts from President Donald Trump. A search by The Commercial Appeal found a LinkedIn account for Thorne, and a Twitter profile withthe same profile image that had not been active since 2016. $('span#sw-emailmask-2916').replaceWith(''); Enrollment at the time was over 500, double what it had been when she came to Cordova a decade earlier. C.School Safety & Discipline A copy of the most recent Student Incident Report, which was submitted to the ALSDE in June 2020, is provided. In his remarks, Principal Thorne expressed concern about the ways social media companies are shutting down debate on critical issues of the day and encouraged students to talk with their parents or teachers about the ramifications of these actions on the First Amendment and free speech. Life Church came out to Cordova High on October 9th to bless teachers by fixing up some of the teacher work rooms and stocking shelves with snacks and treats. They also didnt confirm or deny withThe Starthe involvement of the Office of Equity and Access in the investigation. All rights reserved (About Us). Parler ban: What is Gab, the social network gaining popularity among conservatives? Brown took the group to local housing complexes as well as more rural parts of the community where internet service is not available, which gave the teachers a new perspective on how students would have to struggle to complete assignments that require internet research. var encodedEmail = swrot13('jngxvafz1@fpfx12.bet'); This is a disgrace. These individuals must be neutralized, especially in the field of education. Free speech was being threatened, he alleged, by the actions of privately held social mediaand tech companies such asregulating users and applications being made without oversight of a publiclyelected body. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This article by Nicole Wells was published January 27, 2023 on newsmax.com. Biden Administration Releasing Hundreds of Illegal Aliens into American Towns, Untested for Coronavirus, TechLife: CEO of SalesNexus Craig Klein Offers 50 Percent Off to New Customers Looking to Escape Salesforce CRM Censorship. Published: Sep. 08, 2019, 11:50 a.m. C.School Safety & Discipline A copy of the most recent Student Incident Report, which was submitted to the ALSDE in June 2020, is provided. Fortunately for Principal Thorne, the First Amendment is on his side and we will not rest until he is reinstated to his job and receives a full apology. Individuals who are inciting violence should be removed, Thorne told the Commercial Appeal, referring to the social platforms. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. What happens when you do not have dissenting opinions, when you do not have an exchange of competing ideas? Cordova High School Principal Barton Thorne was placed on administrative leave by the district in January after expressing concern to students over the way unregulated tech and social media companies have the power to control conversations and shut down discussions online. Principal Alisa Brown sits behind her desk at Cordova High School in Cordova, Ala., on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. Daniel Suhr, managing attorney at Liberty Justice Center appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss the vaccine mandate challenges being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 7. 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The fact that two of the people felt I did that means that I was not successful in expressing my thoughts.. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Shelby County School principal is suing the district after his suspension last month. Thorne did denouncethe riots in his comments to students. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Fortunately for Principal Thorne, the First Amendment is on his side and we will not rest until he is reinstated to his job and receives a full apology. And so, if they can do that to a minority or if they can do that to a powerful voice, it doesnt have to be a minority what will stop them one day from doing that to you?. The principal has retained legal counsel from the Liberty Justice Center, a national public interest law firm that defends constitutional rights. With the horrific events from last week at our U.S. Capitol, we have to ensure our children, teachers, and school staff remain in a consistent environment that promotes safety, cultural sensitivity, and represents the highest level of excellence, School board member Shelead Harris said. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The strength of the wolf is the pack. They also helped beautify our campus by cleaning up around the perimeter. Cordova High School Principal Barton Thorne was placed on administrative leave by the district in January after expressing concern to students over the way unregulated tech and social media companies have the power to control conversations and shut down discussions online. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Photo Barton Thorne by Cordova High School. The leave is "pending the outcome of the review of the allegations and comments" by Thorne. The video was shared immediately with news media. 3:13. FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. (WNCN) A high school assistant principal was arrested Friday and charged with driving while impaired in Apex. Im taking action because I meant what I said: Free speech is critically important and is under threat. The email provideda diversity of resources for teachers to discuss recent events concerning the Capitol Hill riot and the election. He said he had been asked by a supervisor to not speak at length to the media about his speech to students and the district's investigation. Commentary: Impeachment Is Not Just About Removing President Trump Its About Canceling You, Tennessee Legislature Approves Modified Block Grant for States Medicaid Program. Im taking action because I meant what I said: Free speech is critically important and is under threat. Attorneys first sent a letter to the Superintendent, Director of Professional Standards and General Counsel, but there was no explanation for the continued leave or any movement to reinstate Principal Thorne. Her first teaching job was at Hewitt-Trussville Junior High School, where she taught ninth grade physical science. }); Email: I don't care what side you agree with, we don't practice sedition, we don't attack our legislature.". No kidding ! $(document).ready(function () { [In] America and in democracies, we talk about the marketplace of ideas but what happens when the marketplace of ideas becomes a forced monopoly? asked Thorne. In democracies, we talk about the marketplace of ideas, Thorne said in the video. SCS informed Thorne of his paid leave on Tuesday, when the district said it was made aware of the incident, first reported by WREG. After two years, she came back to CHS to fill a second assistant principal position that opened up because of an influx of students. Home; About Us" Administrators; Family & Community Engagement Assistant Principal, 10th Grade. Daniel Suhr, managing attorney at Liberty Justice Center appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss the vaccine mandate challenges being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 7. Topics Shelby County Schools Cordova High School Barton Thorne Steve Mulroy Linda A. Moore Linda A. Moore covers education, South Memphis and Whitehaven. Please congratulate the following singers on their auditions Saturday for the All-State Tennessee Honor choirs. In recent days, Twitter suspended 70,000 users that had shared information from QAnon, an extreme conspiracy theorist group whose theories have been increasingly mainstream and now have representation in Congress. CORDOVA, Ala. As a child, Alisa Brown enjoyed playing school. A high school principal has been relieved of his duties at least temporarily after he criticized social media censorship to students this week. He is also host of The Kyle Olson Show, syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays download full podcast episodes. Principal Barton Thorne was suspended in mid-January by administrators for Shelby County Schools, the school district that governs Cordova High School. 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During the homeroom video, Thorne was critical of the riots at the U.S. Capitol, condemning them, but he then went on to talk about free speech and social media companies blocking or filtering what you see or hear. Prior to the incident, Thorne had been the principal at Cordova High School for well over three years. You folks complaining need to put your heads back on and engage your brains (after unburying it from nether regions of other peoples business)! If they can do that to a minority or if they can do that to a powerful voice what will stop them one day from doing that to you?. The video Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2 Geisels. I said: Free speech is critically important and is under threat podcast episodes @ '. Diversity of resources for teachers to discuss recent events concerning cordova high school principal fired Capitol Hill riot and the election field education. America has now reached our Schools, and I will not stand for it.. social media to! 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