Thornes suit says the message was even in line with resources the superintendent recommended for teaching students about the Capitol riot and its aftermath. Email: mail_hide("215528", "smithcolemana", 0, "gro.21kscs") Home US School Principal Suspended for Talking to Students About Big Tech Censorship. Linda A. Moore covers education, South Memphis and Whitehaven. During his presidency, Trump had pushed for abolishing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to remove liability protections enjoyed by social media platforms. Full-time Teacher, Member of Division I, Class AAA, Section 4, James Vinson (Head Coach) 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. Full-time Teacher, John Calley (Assistant Coach) Principal Thornes experience is a frightening example of this trend. This isnt about Trump, he said. Thorne is asking for unspecified damages. 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 [] Imagine that a public school administrator who is teaching kids to think for themselves. 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. Classified Employee, Johnny Stuckey (Head Coach) Email: mail_hide("207528", "cranet", 0, "gro.21kscs") What happens when the marketplace of ideas becomes a forced monopoly. For sharing this message with his students, Principal Thorne was subjected to a professional misconduct complaint and internal disciplinary investigation. Culturally aware? (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13247195197429350,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8850-4234"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.lockerdomecdn.com/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Follow us for breaking news and latest updates: https://chrt.fm/track/23284G/verifi.podscribe.com/rss/p/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/ec639eda-812c-4db1-85c8-acfd010f9fef/4289b50a-5546-4107-a1fd-aff5013fa8c0/audio.mp3?track=false. While Principal Thorne was instructed not to speak to the media or the community about his suspension, numerous district officials spoke publicly about him. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 - CORDOVA 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, Ivan Borgos - 416-2145 If enacted, the platforms will be fined $100,000 per day for every day the candidate is blocked. 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. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Memphis, TN. Full-time Teacher, Justin Lay (Head Coach) And so, if they can do that to a minorityor if they can do that to a powerful voice, it doesnt have to be a minoritywhat will stop them one day from doing that to you? Principal Barton Thorne. Since the start of the school year, Principal Thorne has spoken directly to students through a weekly video message. Vice Principal . Barton Thorne is a career educator who currently serves as principal of Cordova High School for Shelby County Schools (SCS). We need more principals like that in America. 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.. He also referenced McCarthyism, as well as a standoff between federal agents and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas during the 1990s. He criticized the censorship implemented by big tech companies like Twitter, Google, Facebook, and Apple. The principal of a Tennessee high school has been placed on paid administrative leave after he made comments about free speech to students during a virtual announcement. Email: mail_hide("209511", "weaveri", 0, "gro.21kscs") After sharing his message, the lawsuit says the principal was the subject of a professional misconduct complaint and internal disciplinary investigation. Lowe seems to believe its a crime to encourage young people to think critically about the big issues of the day. By registering for the newsletter, you agree to the, Global Governance: The Great Reset and the End of Sovereignty, FBI Warrantless Searches of Americans Dropped 96 Percent in 2022, Megyn Kelly Claims Fox News in Existential Crisis After Tucker Carlsons Exit, Tense Face-Off: Philippines Confronts China Over Sea Claims, California Landslide Halts Rail Service, Homes Evacuated, California Man Found Guilty of Killing 3 After Doorbell Prank. Board member Sheleah Harris, whose district includes Cordova High School, commented on the principals suspension, saying the allegations are extremely unfortunate and do not reflect the true value of the school. Thorne is suing his school district and its superintendent for the suspension. Principal Thornes experience is a frightening example of this trend. Now they will pay the piper for their actions. After a few anonymous complaints were lodged, Principal Thorne was subjected to an internal disciplinary investigation and placed on leave for almost two months without any resolution to his case. A native of South Memphis, Linda has . Thorne was placed on administrative leave in mid-January after speaking to students and staff about freedom of speech with regard to major social media platforms removing or blocking posts from then-President Donald Trump and some of his supporters. And Shelby County Schools silenced him for that. Even though he has his job back, the case will continue, Suhr said. Taught various levels of English; coached softball and soccer; teacher-leader as a department chair and school . 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. 1800 Berryhill Rd Cordova, TN 38016 Physical Address: 1800 Berryhill Rd Cordova, TN 38016 Shipping Address: 1800 Berryhill Rd Cordova, TN 38016 Phone: 901-416-4540 Fax: 901-416-4545 Principal Phone: 901-416-2001 AD Phone: 901-416-4540 Grand Division: West Athletic District: 9 County: Shelby Type: Public Enrollment (Actual): 1933 Virginia parents argue school ambassador program is discriminatory. 2023 Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, Division I, Class 4A, Region 8, District 15, Division I, Region 8, District 17, Section 4, Division I, Class AAA, Region 8, District 15, Division I, Class AA, Region 8, District 16. Thorne is suing his school district and its superintendent for the suspension. 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. Cancel culture isnt just stopping hate speech, its silencing legitimate speech protected by the First Amendment. Your email address will not be published. Email: mail_hide("212944", "havrdass", 0, "gro.21kscs") SHOOTING IT STRAIGHT NEWS / VIEWS / REVIEWS, Your email address will not be published. Office Phone: 901-416-5300 Full-time Teacher, Terrance Scales (Head Coach) Shelby County Schools are the only public schools in Tennessee that have not resumed in-person learning. 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. Principal Thorne was put on administration leave January 12. SCS placed him on administrative leave, where he has languished for six weeks without any closure to his case, the lawsuit states. This article by Joe Dodson was published December 8, 2022 on courthousenews.com. After the school district refused to act, Thorne filed a federal lawsuit. Full-time Teacher, Tasheba Crane (Head Coach) A large number of pro-Trump accounts were also deleted by Twitter and Facebook. 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.. Copyright 2023 Liberty Justice Center. Shelby County Schools. Full-time Teacher, Tracy Ratliff (Assistant Coach) Email: mail_hide("212225", "stinsonf", 0, "gro.21kscs") Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton believes that big tech companies should be regulated, like how governments regulate utility companies. Email: mail_hide("209512", "burnsc1", 0, "gro.21kscs") This article by Joe Dodson was published December 8, 2022 on courthousenews.com. Full-time Teacher, Charles Cooper (Head Coach) The state of Texas is also considering a similar law. Duquesne University (2007), Dustin Sikes (Head Coach) HUNT VALLEY, Md. 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. And not whether or not you agree or disagree with the people being filtered, but can this happen to you one day?. Email: mail_hide("207526", "casemt", 0, "gro.21kscs") Email: mail_hide("212939", "calleyjp", 0, "gro.21kscs") Office Phone: 901-416-4540 According to the lawsuit, Thornes remarks were in his principals message thats part of a weekly announcements video. He filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Shelby County Schools Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Joris Ray. 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. Email: mail_hide("215239", "vinsonjr", 0, "gro.21kscs") (Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images). Well, what happens when the marketplace of ideas becomes a forced monopoly? Email: mail_hide("212940", "calleyjp", 0, "gro.21kscs") Thankfully, theyre letting Principal Thorne back into the school and return to do what he loves, which is teach his students, Suhr said. Principal Barton Thorne was suspended in mid-January by administrators for Shelby County Schools, the school district that governs Cordova High School. 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. Full-time Teacher, Steven Havrda (Assistant Coach) 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. 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. Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Apple, are so powerful, and they have unilaterally made a decision of what you can and cannot see on their platforms, thats a major issue and I want you to understand that. 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. Within an hour of filing, Liberty Justice Center senior attorney Daniel Suhr said he received word of Thornes reinstatement at the school. This includes personalizing content and advertising. This is about speech.. 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. Nothing in his video was factually incorrect, or even wrong, but it was simply wrong think; so the Shelby County School system placed him on administrative leave. The strength of the wolf is the pack. The principal has retained legal counsel from the Liberty Justice Center, a national public interest law firm that defends constitutional rights. 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. ITS NOT THEIR MONEY, BUT THEY DONT CARE, BIDEN SAYS INDIAN-AMERICANS ARE TAKING OVER THE COUNTRY, AND HE SEEMS TO LIKE IT. The school districts Office of Equity and Access (whatever the heck that is) also weighed in on the situation. [I]n democracies, we talk about the marketplace of ideas. Email: mail_hide("186438", "setlerkr", 0, "gro.21kscs") I dont care what side you agree with, we dont practice sedition, we dont attack our legislature, he added. Cordova High School; Cordova Middle Optional School; Craigmont High School; Craigmont Middle; Cromwell Elementary; Crump Elementary; Cummings K-8 Optional School; Delano Elementary; Dexter K-8 School; Double Tree Elementary; Douglass K-8; Downtown Elementary; Dunbar Elementary; E.E. Principal Barton Thorne made a homeroom video that started by criticizing last week's . I dont care what side you agree with, we dont practice sedition, we dont attack our legislature.. Thorne also referenced totalitarian governments, like North Korea and China.. 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. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Email: mail_hide("186439", "casemt", 0, "gro.21kscs") Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have all banned Trump, alleging he incited the violence leading to the breach of the building. He said that consumers dont have the freedom to choose when it comes to social media, making it imperative that the government keeps them under control. Im taking action because I meant what I said: Free speech is critically important and is under threat. 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.. Shelby County Schools (SCS) violated Mr. Thorne's First Amendment and contractual rights by placing him on administrative leave for teaching his students classic American principles on free speech and democratic self-government. Office Phone: 901-415-4540 Think about McCarthyism think about totalitarian governments, think of North Korea, think of China. After the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, Thorne gave a similar speech (in a virtual classroom). Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Barton Thorne of Cordova High School was placed on paid administrative leave after comments he made over the district's virtual learning platform. Oh, So That's Who Decided Joe Biden Would Run for Re-Election. 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. 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. Required fields are marked *. Here's What the Left's Coming for Now. You think about McCarthyism, he said, according to the network. 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. And he is absolutely correct. 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. According to the lawsuit, Thorne usually delivers a weekly speech to students to educate and inspire them. 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. Staff information for the 2022-2023 school year is displayed as it is entered/verified by Cordova High School administration. Principal Barton Thorne was suspended in mid-January by administrators for Shelby County Schools, the school district that governs Cordova High School. Linda A. Moore. 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. The video addressed the dangers of the Big Tech Giants censoring speech. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Office Phone: 901-416-4540, Michael Case (Athletic Director) 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, according toCommercial Appeal. 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.. Weve got a pretty simple ask: we want Principal Thorne to be not just restored to his job, but restored to his reputation. Instead of punishing Principal Thorne he should be given a pay raise and a certificate of merit. Welcome Home. Duquesne University (2007), James Vinson (Assistant Coach) Full-time Teacher, Member of Division I, Region 8, District 17, Section 4, Chautara Franklin (Head Coach) Imagine that a public school administrator who is teaching kids to think for themselves. The principal stressed, however, that his speech was not in support of Trump, or the recently deplatformed social media app Parler, but solely about freedom of speech.