Dear John,

On May 5th, the same day that the Tennessee legislature passed its current anti-CRT bill into law, tenured social studies teacher, Matthew Hawn, was fired from Sullivan Central High School for discussing racism in his Contemporary Issues class.¹ What happened to Matthew is part of a disturbing trend that we’ve seen sweep the nation at an alarming rate: the right-wing is so desperate for power that they have been threatening, reprimanding, and firing educators who insist on teaching the full history of this country. The Sullivan County Board of Education just voted to uphold his termination at his appeal hearing on December 14.² That's not right. If you care about the escalating censorship that the right-wing is enacting on our public education system at every level, this is your fight too. Will you sign the petition in support of Matthew Hawn's reinstatement, today?

SIGN NOW IN SUPPORT OF MATTHEW'S REINSTATMENT

At one of Hawn’s previous appeal hearings, the students who came to speak on their teacher’s behalf were required to first publicly disclose their political affiliation as either Liberal or Conservative.³ John, no group of people who genuinely cared about these children’s well-being would ask them to fulfill such a ridiculous request. This is not about keeping students safe, it’s about the growing political mission to censor those who would challenge white supremacy at all costs, including the cost to our kids. For the anti-CRT mob, Matthew Hawn’s offense wasn’t the failure to offer differing perspectives on race, it was the failure to erase discussions of race from his classroom in the first place. And unless we take action now, these attacks are only going to continue to spread like wildfire, forcing countless other teachers to choose between censoring the truth from their students and holding on to their livelihoods. No public official who cares to claim about the children they are responsible for should have made this decision. Will you take a moment to sign this petition in support of Matt's reinstatement, today?

SIGN NOW IF YOU BELIEVE NO EDUCATOR SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR TEACHING THE TRUTH

The stakes of this case are high. By targeting a teacher who would dare to address social issues, in a school district that is 98% white,⁴ conservative forces in this country are trying to send a clear message to educators everywhere: shut up about the ways that race and power function in the U.S., or else. Let’s send a message right back: if you want to come for the educators in our lives who are standing up for students everywhere, you’ll have to go through us first. Will join us in this fight to demand that Matthew Hawn be reinstated, now?

Until justice is real,

—Jade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

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References:

1. "He Taught a Ta-Nehisi Coates Essay. Then He Was Fired." The Atlantic, August 17, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/334650?t=9&akid=52621%2E4731121%2EqF96vx
2. "Sullivan County BOE upholds former teacher’s dismissal." WJHL, News Channel 11 December 14, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/338158?t=11&akid=52621%2E4731121%2EqF96vx
3. "Hearing officer upholds Sullivan County teacher Matthew Hawn firing vote," Times News, October 22, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/336680?t=13&akid=52621%2E4731121%2EqF96vx
4. "Diversity in the Classroom: Interactive Report," New York Times, May 16, 2012, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/336681?t=15&akid=52621%2E4731121%2EqF96vx

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