Thorne said he was not making those comments because he favored Parler or Trump or anybody else who is being banned., The lawsuit alleges the school district directed Thorne not to talk to media even though the SCS policies permit employees to talk to media in their individual capacity.. Im not going to tell you what to think, I just want to help you think, he told students on a video that was later posted on YouTube. Weve got a pretty simple ask: we want him to be not just restored to his job, but restored to his reputation. Barton Thorne, until recently the principal of Cordova High School in Memphis, Tennessee, was suspended after speaking to students about the dangers of big tech censorship. Thorne referenced McCarthyism, as well as a standoff between federal agents and a religious group called the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas during the 1990s. High school principal Barton Thorne reinstated following civil rights Is the TikTok Benadryl Challenge Actually Suicide Promotion? Non-faculty, Torrey Lewis (Assistant Coach) Memphis native John Dowtin returns as Cordova football coach High school principal Barton Thorne reinstated following civil rights Principal Thorne has been with Shelby County Schools (SCS) for nearly two decades, dedicating his career to helping the families and students within his community. I look forward to my next endeavor! After the school district refused to act, Thorne filed a federal lawsuit. Principal Thorne asked the young people to consider what happens when other groups filter and decide what you can hear and know about. A large number of pro-Trump accounts were also deleted by Twitter and Facebook. What you need to know, summarized in one email. "I'm not going to tell you what to think, I just want to help you think," he told students on a video that was later posted on YouTube. And not whether or not you agree or disagree with the people being filtered, but can this happen to you one day?, READ: 5 Things to Know About Principal Barton Thorne and His Case Against Shelby County Schools, Your email address will not be published. I want you to understand the problem thats going to face you and your generation if there is no longer a marketplace, a free exchange of ideas., You may be in agreement with the people who are doing the filtering, but its just one moment away from somebody else being able to filter you. We have to be aware and at a heightened sense. Tennessee Principal Barton Thorne was suspended by Shelby County School administrators in January after speaking with his students about the dangers of cancel culture.I want you to understand the problem thats going to face you and your generation if there is no longer a marketplace, a free exchange of ideas, he told them, urging the students to engage in respectful conversations with those who hold differing opinions. In a statement, Thorne stressed that free speech is under threat and that he will neither be silenced nor would he allow a students voice to be marginalized just because he puts forward a reasonable point of view. I want you to understand the problem thats going to face you and your generation if there is no longer a marketplace, a free exchange of ideas.. Thorne stressed his. Full-time Teacher, Tasheba Crane (Head Coach) Sonora High School encourages students to become life-long learners and contributing members of an ever-changing world. Phone: Email: Degrees and Certifications: Mary DeGruy. A bit of Bible, A bit of Life, A bit of Politics. Opinion | Principal Thorne should have looked back in his history book Former Arizona State Student Appeals Conviction for Distributing Constitution Copies Liberty Justice Center filed an appeal on behalf of a former Arizona State University student who was convicted of trespassing when he handed To schedule an interview, contact Chloe Edwards at. Tennessee Principal Sues Shelby County Schools For Violating First God Bless!" Wimberly said. In a nine-minute speech Monday, Cordova High School Principal Barton Thorne spoke to the school about free speech. High school principal Barton Thorne reinstated following civil rights He warned that cancel culture is taking foot in America and that he will never stand for it. Barton Thorne, until recently the principal of Cordova High School in Memphis, Tennessee, was suspended after speaking to students about the dangers of big tech censorship. Epoch Times reporter Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report. Thorne addressed his students a day after President Donald Trump was suspended from several Big Tech platforms in the wake of violence that erupted on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. According to the lawsuit, Thornes remarks were in his principals message thats part of a weekly announcements video. Principal Thorne has been with Shelby County Schools (SCS) for nearly two decades, dedicating his career to helping the families and students within his community. What sort of fruit salad nonsense is the Office of Equity and Access? Instead his message was about censorship, silencing of voices, and the dangers of a select group being able to dictate what, if any, speech that happens; this time being Big Tech. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Thorne drew comparisons to the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco, Texas as an example of a group being singled out for their beliefs. Think about totalitarian government. Barton Thorne is the principal at Cordova High School in the Memphis-area, a high school that serves a diverse community including many low-income and minority students. Full-time Teacher, Tracy Ratliff (Assistant Coach) In his video, Thorne expressed concerns about times in American history where a small group of people decided what you can hear. SCSs actions violate Principal Thornes First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by subjecting him to viewpoint discrimination. The taxpayers and parents in Memphis should be celebrating the fact that Principal Thorne is running Cordova High School as a place to educate kids, not indoctrinate kids. Thorne is suing his school district and its superintendent for the suspension. The comments came a few days after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, after which Facebook and Twitter suspended President Trumps accounts, and Google, Apple and Amazon Web Services de-platformed the social media app Parler, which was popular among conservatives. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute or create, an attorney-client relationship between the Liberty Justice Center and/or any lawyer with LJC with any reader or recipient of this information and LJC does not make any assertion regarding available attorneys in your jurisdiction. Even though he has his job back, the case will continue, Suhr said. Do not send us confidential information until you speak with us and receive authorization to do so. 01/27/2023. "This isn't about Trump," he said. Full-time Teacher Full-time Teacher, Tracy Ratliff (Assistant Coach) 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. For sharing this message with his students, Principal Thorne was subjected to a professional misconduct complaint and internal disciplinary investigation. This isnt about Trump, he said. Full-time Teacher, John Calley (Assistant Coach) And not whether or not you agree or disagree with the people being filtered, but can this happen to you one day?. Oct 2001 - Jun 201210 years 9 months. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Think about North Korea. Email: mail_hide("216157", "ratlifftn", 0, "gro.21kscs") It was also in line with the resources Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Joris M. Ray had recommended for teaching about January 6 and its aftermath. After the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, Thorne gave a similar speech (in a virtual classroom). The comments he made endorsed no political or religious points of view, and are widely accepted in public education curriculum, including in Shelby County Schools. Email: mail_hide("212213", "scalestr", 0, "gro.21kscs") HUNT VALLEY, Md. Email: mail_hide("212946", "havrdass", 0, "gro.21kscs") Many of you have complained that you never see our content in your news feeds. Barton Thorne, Principal, Cordova High School Transcript of Remarks to Cordova High School Students and Staff January 11, 2021 The thing I want to talk about, that's happened recently, and I never from my years of teaching and administration, I do not get into religion and I do not get into politics with my students. Oh, So That's Who Decided Joe Biden Would Run for Re-Election. Tennessee Principal on Leave After Warning Kids about - Townhall Cordova High School / Homepage - Schoolwires Copyright Townhall.com/Salem Media. After the tragic and disturbing events of January 6, 2021, our country experienced a teachable moment around the importance of free speech and the dangers of cancel culture and deplatforming as social media moderators reacted to the content of various accounts. The video addressed the dangers of the Big Tech Giants censoring speech. He was also critical of the riot in the Capitol. Office Phone: 901-416-7470, Barton Thorne (Principal) His comments in no way violated his responsibilities to the district under his contract. Denotes school attended/completed rules meeting in current school year. Disclaimer: The materials contained in this website are for informational purposes and are not to be considered advertising or legal advice. This isnt about Trump, he said. Thorne warned his students that anyones voice can be cancelled for any reason by a small group of people. Thorne shared concerns about big tech companies ability to control information on their platforms during a Jan. 11 weekly homeroom video message to students and staff at Cordova High School in Tennessee. Principal Suspended for Defending Free Speech and Warning About He should be saluted for educating the kids at Cordova High School instead of indoctrinating them. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. SCS placed him on administrative leave, where he has languished for six weeks without any closure to his case, the lawsuit states. Full-time Teacher, Michella Carter (Assistant Coach) Barton Thorne, the principal of Cordova High School near Memphis, Tennessee, was briefly suspended (cancelled) after he stood up to the cancel culture dominating social media. Email: mail_hide("209511", "weaveri", 0, "gro.21kscs") Weve got a pretty simple ask: we want Principal Thorne to be not just restored to his job, but restored to his reputation. But the irony is that by doing this, another small group of people tried to silence HIM, and punished him for daring to speak truth. Principal Thorne asked the young people to consider what happens when other groups filter and decide what you can hear and know about. Barton Thorne, the principal of Cordova High School, told students during morning announcements that they needed to be aware of the censorship happening on social media. Disclaimer: The materials contained in this website are for informational purposes and are not to be considered advertising or legal advice. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Office Phone: 901-416-4540 During that time, SCS officials lambasted his message in the news media while telling him to stay silent. At a recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), former President Trump, who Twitter and Facebook banned following the Jan. 6 incident, said that big tech firms should face penalties if they continue to censor conservative opinions. Former Arizona State Student Appeals Conviction for Distributing Constitution Copies Liberty Justice Center filed an appeal on behalf of a former Arizona State University student who was convicted of trespassing when he handed To schedule an interview, contact Chloe Edwards at. According to the lawsuit, Thorne says SCS violated his first and 14th amendment rights. Cordova High School / Homepage - Shelby County Schools Email: mail_hide("207974", "vandaslynch", 0, "moc.liamg") He criticized the censorship implemented by big tech companies like Twitter, Google, Facebook, and Apple. Principal Barton Thorne was suspended in mid-January by administrators for Shelby County Schools, the school district that governs Cordova High School. Forget the War on Stoves. During his presidency, Trump had pushed for abolishing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to remove liability protections enjoyed by social media platforms. Apparently, defending free speech is a big no-no in Shelby County Schools. After more than a month, and even after the Liberty Justice Center had reached out to the school district multiple times, Thorne had heard very little from school officials and had no resolution to his case. 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.. Full-time Teacher, Terrance Scales (Head Coach) Thornes suspension had resulted from a complaint from one or several unknown SCS employees, parents, or students, according to the lawsuit. Linda A. Moore covers education, South Memphis and Whitehaven. Home - Clara Barton Elementary - Corona-Norco Unified School District Virginia parents argue school ambassador program is discriminatory. The time has come to break up big tech monopolies and restore fair competition Big tech giants like Twitter, Google, and Facebook should be punished with major sanctions whenever they silence conservative voices, Trump said in a speech. Im taking action because I meant what I said: Free speech is critically important and is under threat. Suhr told Sinclair his firm had reached out to the school district several times before filing the suit, but the school never responded in a substantive way.. Office Phone: 901-415-4540 Thorne v Shelby County Board of Education - Liberty Justice Center Barton Thorne - Principal - Shelby County Schools | LinkedIn This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute or create, an attorney-client relationship between the Liberty Justice Center and/or any lawyer with LJC with any reader or recipient of this information and LJC does not make any assertion regarding available attorneys in your jurisdiction. On Jan. 25, Thornes lawyers sent a letter to SCS demanding that they publicly apologize for suggesting that he had done something inappropriate and immediately reinstate him. Topics Shelby County Schools Barton Thorne Cordova High School Steve Mulroy University of Memphis Linda A. Moore Linda A. Moore covers education, South Memphis and Whitehaven. These messages inspire, educate, inform, and challenge his high school students. PDF Mr. Thorne's statements were in line with the content of resources What happens when you do not have dissenting opinions, when you do not have an exchange of competing ideas, he told students. Suspended Cordova High School principal files lawsuit against district - News Channel 3 Memphis . URGENT: Social media is SHUTTING DOWN Conservative content. InThorne v. Shelby County Board of Education, Liberty Justice Center is representing a Memphis-area high school principal suing his school district after he was placed on administrative leave for speaking with his students about the importance of free speech. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thursday Farm Market. MEMPHIS, Tenn. On the surface, it might seem that Cordova High School principal Barton Thorne being placed on paid administrative leave for something he said is extreme and much ado about . Otis Sanford's Point of View on Cordova High principal's video Email: mail_hide("209512", "burnsc1", 0, "gro.21kscs") To schedule an interview, contact Kristen Williamson at[emailprotected]or 773-809-4403. (Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images). Wimberly took to Twitter to announce his dismissal from Cordova. The only violation of Shelby County School guidelines was made by the district itself, when it breached Thornes contractual rights by placing him on administrative leave for teaching his students the classic American principles of free speech and democratic self-government. Full-time Teacher, John Calley (Assistant Coach) Thornes suit says the message was even in line with resources the superintendent recommended for teaching students about the Capitol riot and its aftermath. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have all banned Trump, alleging he incited the violence leading to the breach of the building. PDF Shelby County Board of Education Complaint - Reclaim The Net The suit claims he saw it as a teachable moment about Free Speech and the dangers of cancel culture. His message touched on the importance of Free Speech in a democratic society, the lawsuit says, and was in line with Tennessees standards for teaching social studies to high school students and in line with generally accepted civics curriculum.. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. (03/07/21) Barton Thorne, Principal at Cordova High School in Tennessee was suspended from his job for making a video and sharing it with students and staff. Think about North Korea. The suit however, will not be dropped. 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A principal at Tennessees largest school district is suing over his suspension following comments to students about fallout from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. We have to be culturally aware and also have our students have an outlet so they can express themselves and feel value, Lowe told the Fox 13 in Memphis. Email: mail_hide("208846", "layjo", 0, "gro.21kscs") Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Barton Thorne is principal of Cordova High School. Think about China. Barton Thorne, who is in his fourth year leading Cordova High School in Shelby County, reportedly said during a nine-minute morning announcement that free speech is being threatened by the actions of privately held tech companies, the Commercial Appeal reported. Barton Thorne, the principal of Cordova High School, told students during morning announcements that they needed to be aware of the censorship happening on social media. Think about totalitarian government. Instead of punishing Principal Thorne he should be given a pay raise and a certificate of merit. Thornes suit alleges SCS officials told him to remain silent while the district criticized him in the media. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. It's Full-time Teacher, Justin Lay (Head Coach) Arvind is a recluse who prefers staying far away from the limelight as possible. Office Phone: 901-416-4545 This article by Joe Dodson was published December 8, 2022 on courthousenews.com. During his video message, Thorne explicitly denounced the Capitol riots, saying they displayed ignorance at the highest levels., I dont know too many people that are going to be okay with what happened, he said, according to the transcript. Email: mail_hide("209514", "lewistj", 0, "gro.21kscs") Principal Barton Thorne called it "shocking and disappointing" to be removed for speaking to students about the First Amendment. Full-time Teacher, Chance Talley (Assistant Coach) But every American should be concerned about a cultural trend to get rid of voices that disagree with popular viewpoints.Cancel culture isnt just stopping hate speech, its silencing legitimate speech protected by the First Amendment. Barton Thorne, the principal of Cordova High School, told students during morning announcements that they needed to be aware of the censorship happening on social media. He also criticized the Capitol riot, calling it ignorance at the highest level. He said that no matter what side you agree with, one should not practice sedition or attack the legislature. And within an hour of filing, he was notified that he could return to work. What the Superintendent and School District did was inexcusable, and ILLEGAL. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Is SCOTUS About to Annihilate the Administrative State? The focus was on helping his students think critically about how the position being taken by tech companies like Facebook and Twitter could impact their future and how it could impact free speech in the future. Shelby County Schools is the largest public school district in Tennessee and is one of the 25 largest nationwide. Barton Thorne is principal of Cordova High School. "I have been released as the head football coach this afternoon by Mr. Thorne. But every American should be concerned about a cultural trend to get rid of voices that disagree with popular viewpoints. Lawsuit: Memphis School Principal Suspended After Teaching - Breitbart The social media giants have collectively seen $51.2 billion in combined market value wiped out over the last two trading sessions since they banned Trump from their platforms. Giving the example of McCarthyism, the principal encouraged students to Google about the issue or ask their social studies teacher. That was ignorance at the highest level, he said in response to the U.S. Capitol incident. Email: mail_hide("212216", "cranet", 0, "gro.21kscs") Email: mail_hide("215528", "smithcolemana", 0, "gro.21kscs") And hopefully, the school district will do that, and then we can bring this case to a close. Daniel Suhr, Liberty Justice Center senior attorney. "I'm not going to. The school districts Office of Equity and Access (whatever the heck that is) also weighed in on the situation. The principal has retained legal counsel from the Liberty Justice Center, a national public interest law firm that defends constitutional rights. He should be saluted for educating the kids at Cordova High School instead of indoctrinating them. Office Phone: 901-416-4545 Troy High School / Homepage - Fullerton Joint Union High School District All Rights Reserved. Email: mail_hide("207528", "cranet", 0, "gro.21kscs") Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Email: mail_hide("212214", "cartermt", 0, "gro.21kscs") Anything less would be a disservice not only to Principal Thorne, but also to his students who are watching a real-life civics life lesson unfold before their eyes.. But simply allowing Thorne to return to the position that he was wrongfully suspended from is not quite enough. Theres only one way to fight back and thats by subscribing to my FREE weekly newsletter. Linda A. Moore. This is about speech.. School Principal Suspended for Talking to Students About Big Tech Censorship, Copyright Policy and Infringement Notification. Coaches who have successfully completed the ASEP Coaches Education Course AND the TSSAA Online Coaches Training Session prior to May, 15, 2013 are not subject to this requirement. Principal Barton Thorne made a homeroom video that started by criticizing last week's . Instead of punishing Principal Thorne he should be given a pay raise and a certificate of merit. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 A Tennessee high school principal is on administrative leave after he told students they should be alarmed by the recent crackdown on free speech on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. All Rights Reserved. Audio obtained by the WREG-TVallegedly reveals Thorne addressing recent moves byTwitter, Facebook, Google, and Apple and their decision as private companies to filter and to decide what you hear and know about., Because there have been times even in American history where a small group of people decided what you could hear. High school principal sues over suspension after controversial comments to students about Capitol riot, free speech, Mother arrested for leaving children home alone to go to gym, police say, Suspect accused of kidnapping, raping child in South Memphis pleads not guilty, Whitehaven mourns loss of high school band director, City of Memphis takes formal stance on 5-year residency requirement for mayoral candidates, Thorne drew comparisons to the Branch Davidian standoff. (SBG) High school principal Barton Thorne, who was suspended last month over comments he made about free speech in the wake of the Capitol riot, is returning to work for. We need more principals like that in America.
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