Georgia Today: 'Divisive concepts' teacher fired; Threats against Trump jurors; Nuclear reactor

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Friday, Aug. 18. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, the Cobb County School Board votes to fire a teacher for violating Georgia's divisive concepts law. Authorities investigate death threats made against the grand jurors who indicted former President Donald Trump. And workers begin loading radioactive fuel into Georgia's second new nuclear reactor. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: A Georgia teacher is out of a job following a vote by the Cobb County Board of Education at their meeting last night. GPB's Amanda Andrews explains the decision hinged on Georgia's divisive concepts law.

Amanda Andrews: The board voted 4 to 3 along party lines to fire fifth grade teacher Katie Rinderle. The decision overruled the recommendation of a recent tribunal, saying she should keep her job after reading a book about gender identity to students called My Shadow is Purple. Prior to the vote, public comment included remarks from teachers, students and parents. Jeff Hubbard, with the Cobb County Association of Educators says Rindlerle should be forgiven.

Jeff Hubbard: Everyone makes mistakes, and regardless of the size or type of mistake, all can learn and grow from life lessons. In Cobb County, we call that progressive discipline, both for students and employees.

Amanda Andrews: Attorneys with the Southern Poverty Law Center representing Rindlere say they will hold the school district accountable for the firing. For GPB News. I'm Amanda Andrews.

Peter Biello: During the public comment period of yesterday's Cobb County Board of Education meeting, people spoke in favor of Rinderle. Here's parent Michael Garza.

Michael Garza: Be kind to everyone. Always. That is what inclusion is all about. Being kind to everyone. It isn't about indoctrination or grooming. It is about the idea that if your child is in a public setting like a classroom, your child has the right to occupy that space without being bullied for who they are or because of their appearance. It is telling that child "You belong." Unfortunately, our state and district are failing in this capacity. State law and district policy say the opposite: that parents have the right to allow their kids to bully a child if their parents don't agree with who that child is — and teachers are powerless to prevent it.

Peter Biello: And here's retired Cobb County teacher Kim Carlton.

Kim Carlton: I had always been confident that I was seen as a professional and that I could independently select from a variety of materials and resources to support the curriculum and standards that I was charged with teaching my students. Unfortunately, in 2022, things began to change. Restrictions were placed on us as teachers in the content and the topics we could discuss. We were told not to discuss anything controversial or sensitive, but I could not find, nor in any of — any of my colleagues, exactly what that meant. Exactly what was considered in this realm. At that point, I realized I could not teach in a restrictive environment.

Peter Biello: We'll hear more from Rinderle's attorney later in this podcast.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Authorities are investigating threats made against the grand jurors who indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 allies this week. The Fulton County Sheriff's Office said in a statement yesterday it's working to track down the origin of the threats with assistance from other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. A grand jury in Fulton County on Monday handed down a 41-count indictment, charging Trump and others with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. The sheriff's office says it takes any threat to members of the grand jury seriously.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Workers have begun loading radioactive fuel into a second new nuclear reactor in Georgia. Georgia Power said yesterday they are transferring fuel into Unit 4 at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta. Unit 3 entered commercial operation last month. Georgia Power says Unit 4 will be complete by March.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: Six top Republican presidential candidates are in Atlanta this weekend for a conservative conference called The Gathering. GPB's Stephen Fowler has more.

Stephen Fowler: Donald Trump is dominating the primary and headlines after getting indicted in Georgia this week for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election. But at the gathering in Atlanta, those in attendance are pushing people to focus on the future, like Gov. Brian Kemp.

Brian Kemp: You can believe whatever you want about the 2020 election. That is your right. I understand that. I have no problem with that. But the thing is, that was three years ago.

Stephen Fowler: On the presidential side, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis are speaking, trying to make their pitch in a crucial swing state. For GPB News, I'm Stephen Fowler in Buckhead.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: Adults and kids in most of rural Georgia are enrolled in Medicaid at double the rates of those in metro areas. That's according to a new study from Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families. That may put them at higher risk under Medicaid unwinding. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more.

Sofi Gratas: Limited broadband, transportation and health care in rural areas means families living there may have more trouble turning in the right information to stay enrolled in Medicaid as the state checks everyone's eligibility under unwinding. Joan Alker is a lead researcher on the study.

Joan Alker: Georgia's a state that's pretty high up there on my worry list.

Sofi Gratas: Because already the state has disenrolled kids at a disproportionately high rate and Georgia has not expanded Medicaid. Alker says that spells trouble, especially for rural families who lose coverage.

Joan Alker: Low- and moderate-wage workers very rarely get an offer of affordable coverage for their children.

Sofi Gratas: Instead, the state moved forward with a partial expansion with work requirements for adults last month, which has so far enrolled just over 200 people. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: The Savannah Hilton Head International Airport saw a record number of travelers for the month of July. The airport announced today that roughly 380,000 passengers flew through the Hostess City last month. That's an 8% increase over last July. It's also on track to set a new record for annual travelers. So far, some 2.3 million passengers have passed through Savannah. The airport is trying to keep up with the rising demand by building a new TSA checkpoint area. That project is scheduled to be completed sometime next year.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: The Atlanta BeltLine has acquired nearly 14 acres beside its South Side trail for more than $13 million. The BeltLine's newly acquired vacant land sits next to the Nia building, a former trucking terminal at Pittsburgh Yards that is home to more than 100 workspaces. Conference spaces, an amphitheater, apartment units and a shared kitchen and market. BeltLine leaders have not yet announced plans for the site, but say its acquisition is consistent with its mission to make way for the development of affordable housing and commercial opportunities.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: Today is the last day for fans to help the Rome Braves choose a new name. The High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves announced last week it'll change the team's name next season. Team leaders wanted to, quote, "create an identity that fans across the region can proudly claim and call their own." Fans can submit ideas through the team's website. After today's deadline passes, five fan submissions will be put up for a second round of voting.

Story 9:

Peter Biello: The Cobb County School Board voted 4 to 3 yesterday to fire Katie Rinderle, the elementary school teacher who is accused of violating Georgia's divisive concepts law. She'd read a book about gender fluidity to her fifth grade class. With this vote, the board went against the recommendation of a panel that said she should keep her job. With me now is attorney Craig Goodmark. He represented Rendell as a Georgia Association of Educators attorney. Thanks very much for speaking with me.

Craig Goodmark: It's a pleasure to be here.

Peter Biello: So what does it say to you that this was a close vote on the Cobb County School Board?

Craig Goodmark: So, consistent with some of the other metro counties who have seen kind of a political transition over the last several years, I think Cobb County is politically a lot closer than people think and maybe a lot closer than their leadership wants to believe.

Peter Biello: So this was a political decision, you think?

Craig Goodmark: Absolutely. If you look at the transcript of the two days of trial that we held and then the decision of the tribunal that heard the the evidence, it was clear — the only thing actually that was clear — was that Katie Rinderle really should not have been fired. The allegations that were raised by the school district were unclear. They're using terms that are in the trio of censorship laws passed by the state legislature that have no real meaning. The witnesses that came forward to testify in the hearings had inconsistent, if not incoherent, definitions for what is controversial, what is divisive and what is sensitive. And at the end of the day, the tribunal that was appointed — hand-picked by the superintendent and the board to hear this matter — did not think she should be terminated, turned around just three days later. And a board of education that is split down ideological lines votes to terminate her without any justification and rejecting the two days of hearing that we had.

Peter Biello: Let me ask you a little bit about the terms you just mentioned, the definition of divisive or controversial. I'm wondering why that's the standard, because the law doesn't really mention gender identity, which is the subject in question here. It does mention race, ethnicity and skin color. How did the the law go so far as to include something like gender identity, if it — if it's so narrowly defined in that — in the divisive concepts law?

Craig Goodmark: And I think that's a great question and one that I probably can't answer because these terms are without limits. And so that is how something that starts from the Legislature to be seemingly limited to race then is used by a angry parent with a political agenda and an email saying that LGBTQ and queer is divisive. And so here we are left with the consequences of that. Combined with House Bill 1084 — the divisive concepts law wasn't the only legislation passed. There were other pieces of legislation that operate to censor teachers and to chill discussions about topics like gender, topics like race topics that would be deemed by those that don't want to discuss them as controversial.

Peter Biello: Are you referring to the what's called as the Parents' Bill of Rights?

Craig Goodmark: Correct. The Parents' Bill of Rights. There's another law that was protecting — the Protecting Minors Act and in Cobb County. And there's more laws to come, I understand. And they're all working together to try to censor teachers, to eliminate discussions in classrooms that are legitimate pedagogical concepts to be discussed. But for some reason — and that reason being people's political agenda — they want them out of the classroom.

Peter Biello: So what message do you think this sends to Georgia teachers?

Craig Goodmark: It's a continuing message. Unfortunately. It started in 2022 when the Legislature passed these laws, and now it is trickling through the districts where teachers are. And that is: be afraid, be worried about your jobs. We are going to outsource the concepts in public education to the loudest and angriest who are not in the classroom and whose ultimate goal may not be to educate kids, but it may be to get people elected to further a particular political agenda. And that's concerning.

Peter Biello: And teacher recruitment and shortage is already a challenge here in Georgia. What will the impact on hiring be in some districts as a result of this?

Craig Goodmark: Certainly going to have a very big impact, I think. If I was a teacher coming out of college right now, looking for a job and I had an opportunity to teach in a state where my future is uncertain or teach in a state where my future is more certain, certainly I'm going to choose the latter. The other issue that you have is, you know, and this is one that's giving me great concern, is that the procedures themselves were ignored by the Board of Education. We had a two-day trial where a teacher's rights to defend her job because she's tenured were being presented. In that two-day trial, the district did everything they could to get Katie Rendell fired. They withheld information from the educator. They withheld evidence that was likely exculpatory. And then at the end of the day, when they couldn't get the outcome that they wanted, they simply just fired her and ignored the Fair Dismissal Act altogether. And that's a concern.

Peter Biello: So is there any recourse for Rinderle and any other teacher who might be fired under this law once they get to this point?

Craig Goodmark: For Ms. Rinderle, we're evaluating that the Fair Dismissal Act does grant her the right to appeal to the State Board of Education. She also may have claims that we are going to be evaluating and pursuing if, if, if we make that decision.

Peter Biello: We mentioned politics at the beginning of this conversation. Is the state Board of Education also mired in a similar political situation as the Cobb County School Board?

Craig Goodmark: We are in the early days of watching these policies be implemented, and I will be watching closely to see how the state of Georgia reacts to circumstances like this.

Peter Biello: If this happens many more times, does the Georgia Association of Educators have the resources to to provide the same kind of defense that Katie Rinderle has had?

Craig Goodmark: Absolutely. The — the association itself, these organizations are ready. They are here to to defend teachers. They're here to ensure that there's honesty in education. And then, along with partners like Southern Poverty Law Center and their national partners at the National Education Association are watching very closely.

Peter Biello: Well, Craig Goodmark, thank you so much for speaking with me about this.

Craig Goodmark: Absolutely. Peter. It is good to be here.

Peter Biello: We reached out to the Cobb County School District for comment and a district spokesperson replied, quote, "The district is pleased that this difficult issue has concluded. We are very serious about keeping our classrooms focused on teaching, learning and opportunities for success for students. The board's decision is reflective of that mission." The spokesperson continued, "The district provided all information requested by Rinderle's attorneys consistent with the requirements of the Open Records Act, the Fair Dismissal Act, and, as confirmed by the hearing officer, agreed upon by both parties. In total, over 1,000 pages of records were produced to this educator and her counsel." You can find all of GPB's coverage of the story at GPB.org/news.

Caption

The 2023 Macon Film Festival will give its first-ever Georgia Film Impact Award to film and music producer Dallas Austin.

Credit: Courtesy of Dallas Austin

Story 10:

Peter Biello: The 2023 Macon Film Festival, featuring films from around the world, is happening right now through Sunday. Film enthusiasts of all ages are encouraged to take advantage of all the quality screening events, as well as drop by for the red carpet events. Tickets and festival info, along with the full schedule of screenings can be found at Macon Film Festival.com. One particular event of note: The Macon Film Festival is welcoming special guest Dallas Austin to host a battle of the bands marching band performance featuring Bibb County students from Central Fine Arts and International Baccalaureate Magnet High School, Howard High School and West Side High School. It'll be a free event held outside of the Grand Opera House on Saturday at 5 p.m. A free screening of the 2002 film Drumline, which was produced by Dallas Austin, will be shown at the Grand Opera House immediately after the performance.

And that's it for this edition of Georgia Today. Thank you so much for tuning in. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, visit our website, GPB.org/news. And we'll be back in your podcast feed next Monday. Best thing to do is to subscribe to this podcast; we'll always be current in your podcast feed if you do that. And if you've got feedback or story ideas for us, we want to hear from you. Email us. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news.

Read the latest updates on the Georgia indictments here.