Image Credit: Color of Change / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
A Chancery Court judge ruled that a Sullivan County teacher fired in 2021 for teaching critical race theory must be reinstated.
Sullivan Central High School teacher Matthew Hawn was dismissed from his position after a complaint was made by a parent regarding curriculum being used in the contemporary issue course he was teaching.
The complaint specifically focused on Hawn’s use of an article about white privilege and a a spoken poem called “White Privilege” that also included profanity.
Hawn had been a teacher at the school since 2005 and was tenured in 2008.
The Sullivan County School Board voted in June 2021 to fire Hawn, and that decision was later confirmed by a hearing officer.
Hawn filed an appeal with the Chancery Court in January 2022, requesting that he be reinstated and be given backpay for his missed work.
Chancellor Katherine Priester ruled that Hawn was not insubordinate or unprofessional in his conduct and reversed the dismissal, noting that the 16-year veteran teacher was “an excellent teacher who had no performance issues.”
Priester said a letter written by Hawn to former Sullivan County Director of Schools David Cox showed that he was apologetic for his actions and had attempted to find a way to rectify the situation.
This contradicted Cox’s previous explanation that Hawn was fired because he refused to accept responsibility or take action to prevent complaints in the future.
She ordered that he be paid his full salary for the time that he was suspended and dismissed.
Hawn told News Channel 11, “I am grateful for the Court’s ruling. I also want to thank all the former students, friends, neighbors, and members of my family who have supported me. I look forward to returning to the classroom and reconnecting with my students and colleagues.”
Sullivan County Board of Education Chairman Matt Price and Director of Schools Chuck Carter say the district plans to appeal that decision:
“This afternoon we received news of Chancellor Katherine Priester’s ruling to reverse the prior decision of the Sullivan County Board of Education and reinstate Matthew Hawn as a teacher with Sullivan County Schools. Though we respect the Chancellor and her judicial role, we were disappointed that she chose here to not only reverse the decision of our Board of Education, but also to disregard the decision of independent hearing officer Dale Conder, who previously upheld Mr. Hawn’s dismissal following a multi-day hearing. We hope to soon set a Special Called Meeting of the Sullivan County Board of Education, during which both of us and the Board’s counsel will recommend an immediate appeal of the Chancellor’s decision to the Tennessee Court of Appeals.”
