Principal Alisa Brown sits behind her desk at Cordova High School in Cordova, Ala., on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. I will not allow myself to be silenced any more than I would allow a student to be marginalized for sharing a perfectly reasonable point of view.. All rights reserved. Its a sad day for Shelby County Schools (and all of the U.S. for that matter) when a school principal cant speak out in favor of freedom of speech without being accused of being political. The principal at Cordova High School is on paid administrative leave after comments he reportedly made over SCSs virtual learning platform. Individuals who are inciting violence should be removed, Thorne told the Commercial Appeal, referring to the social platforms. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Principal Thorne was suspended from his job for preaching the virtues of free speech and tolerance. Principal Barton Thorne recorded a homeroom video on Monday, reportedly sharing his thoughts via the Shelby County Schools (SCS) virtual learning platformto address several Big Tech companies recent decisions to censor various individuals and platforms. I will not allow myself to be silenced any more than I would allow a student to be marginalized for sharing a perfectly reasonable point of view. I don't care what side you agree with, we don't practice sedition, we don't attack our legislature.". 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. Principal Alisa Brown sits behind her desk at Cordova High School in Cordova, Ala., on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Shelby County School principal is suing the district after his suspension last month. Thorne warned that oppressive countries like China and North Korea restrict and eliminate the free exchange of ideas, thereby controlling their citizens. He worked within the Shelby County School system for a little over 19 years this approaching fall would mark his 20th year. Its whats going on with Twitter and Facebook and Google and Apple, and their decision as private companies to filter and to decide what you, you hear and know about, Throne said in the recording. Principal Thorne was suspended from his job for preaching the virtues of free speech and tolerance. As a career educator in a very diverse community, I have prided myself on fostering a school environment that is open-minded, accepting and welcoming everyone who comes through our doors. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The head of the Memphis and Shelby County teacher's union is reacting to a controversial video made by the principal of Cordova High School. 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. Three Loudoun County parents say the school districts student ambassador program, meant to combat systemic racism, discriminates against students based on their race and viewpoints. Thorne v. Shelby County Board of Education, Newsmax: Daniel Suhr and former ASU student Tim Tizon discuss appeal of unlawful conviction, Former ASU Student Appeals Conviction for Distributing Constitution- Newsmax, New Lawsuit: Albuquerque vote to give taxpayer funds to Planned Parenthood violates New Mexico Constitution, Virginias Discriminatory Ambassador Program Courthouse News Service. Science was a little bit of a struggle for me, and I think that helped as I became a teacher because I had to really study. $(document).ready(function () { 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. 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. Since the start of the school year, Principal Thorne has spoken directly to students through a weekly video message. 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You folks complaining need to put your heads back on and engage your brains (after unburying it from nether regions of other peoples business)! Shelby County Schools placed Thorne on paid administrative leave the day after his video was circulated. And shame on principal Thorne for apologizinghe had nothing to apologize for and should stand his ground! Additionally, teachers should also be encouraged to reference their training on social-emotional learning to support their efforts in creating a conducive environment for these conversations.. Copyright 2023 Liberty Justice Center. In addition to the resources provided in this guide, teachers will want to reference their training on social-emotional learning to create an environment conducive to these conversations.". What has this principal said that is wrong???? I dont know of too many people that are going to be okay with what happened. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Shelby County School principal is suing the district after his suspension last month. As principal, Brown's goal is to create opportunities for students to enjoy their high school experience and for teachers to prepare students for the worlds of college or career. 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, He warned students that these days, anyones voice can be canceled for any reason at any time by a small group of people and school administrators have proved him right, said Daniel Suhr, senior attorney at the Liberty Justice Center. The strength of the wolf is the pack. Freedom of speech is a God-given right guaranteed by the 1st Amendment, and defending it is NEVER political. Thorne told students he was"not a conspiracy theorist" and that he was not on social media. 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. Said Twitter, where Trump was once most active: "After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.". 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. "They spend not only that year with the child but they spend from K through 12 with a lot of kids. She also showed them places where the kids gather for fun, such as the neighborhood where trick-or-treaters from all over the city descend each Halloween and go door-to-door, and provided popsicles for them to give away to children they met on the field trip. Home; About Us" Administrators; Family & Community Engagement Assistant Principal, 10th Grade. var encodedEmail = swrot13('jngxvafz1@fpfx12.bet'); WebPrincipal Barton Thorne was suspended in mid-January by administrators for Shelby County Schools, the school district that governs Cordova High School. Enrollment at the time was over 500, double what it had been when she came to Cordova a decade earlier. Instead, she switched to science so that she could graduate in a year. Information from: Daily Mountain Eagle, http://www.mountaineagle.com. Principals comments on the power social media and big tech companies have are under scrutiny from Shelby County Schools officials. Carbon Hill Elementary and Junior High School, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). 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," Harris said in a statement. 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. 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, Prior to the incident, Thorne had been the principal at Cordova High School for well over three years. Excuse me!!! It's about making sure everyone here has what they need to be successful," Brown said. The following DECA members have made it to DECA State Competition. A poster-sized photo of the FFA officers on a kayak trip hangs near the office. Congratulations,DECA students and teachers! 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