Judicial Watch Files Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit for Mass. High School Teacher...

[IceWizard]

Judicial Watch Files Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit for
Mass. High School Teacher Fired for Social Media Posts
Objecting to Critical Race Theory in Schools





NOVEMBER 29, 2021
JUDICIAL WATCH



(Washington, DC) 

Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf
of Kari MacRae, a Massachusetts high school teacher who was fired in retaliation
for posts on social media objecting to the inclusion of critical race theory in schools
(MacRae vs. Matthew Mattos and Matthew A. Ferron (No. 1:21-cv-11917).

The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of
Massachusetts, asks for damages against Hanover School Superintendent Matthew Ferron
and Hanover High School Principal Matthew Mattos for retaliating against MacRae,
a math/business teacher at Hanover High School, for exercising her First Amendment rights.

The lawsuit details that MacRae, who was hired as a Hanover High School teacher on
August 31, 2021, was fired over several TikTok video posts that were made months prior
to her hiring at the school. MacRae, who in May of 2021 was elected to the Bourne School
Committee, said she made the posts in her personal capacity as a citizen and candidate
for public office.

MacRae was fired on September 29, 2021.

“I got fired specifically for a social media post I made,” she said. “That’s a violation of free speech,”
MacRae told the Cape Cod Times in an interview published on October 13, 2021.

The lawsuit details that Mattos met with MacRae on September 24, 2021 to inform her that he
was investigating the impact of six memes and two TikTok videos that MacRae posted which
were referenced in a September 22, 2021, Boston Globe article.

On May 18, 2021, as part of her campaign for school committee member, MacRae posted a
TikTok video which stated, in part:

So pretty much the reason I ran for school board and
the reason I’m taking on this responsibility is to ensure
that students, at least in our town, are not being taught
critical race theory.  That they’re not being taught that
the country was built on racism.  So they’re not being
taught that they can choose whether or not they want
to be a girl or a boy.  It’s one thing to include and it’s
one thing to be inclusive. And it’s one thing to educate
everybody about everything. It’s completely another
thing to push your agenda.  And, with me on the school
board, that won’t happen in our town.

In a letter dated September 29, 2021, Mattos fired MacRae from her position at Hanover
High School, stating “I have determined that continuing your employment in light of your
social media posts would have a significant impact on student learning at HHS.” Ferron
reviewed and approved Mattos’ decision to fire MacRae.

The lawsuit details that no Hanover High School parent or student had raised concerns about
MacRae’s employment at Hanover High School because of the social media posts.

“Kari MacRae was viciously targeted and unlawfully fired as a teacher because she exercised
her First Amendment rights to criticize critical race theory,” stated Judicial Watch President
Tom Fitton. “This civil rights lawsuit aims to hold accountable school district officials who are
so desperate to push critical race theory that they will trample the civil rights of our client,
Ms. MacRae.

In February 2021, Judicial Watch filed a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of David Flynn, the
father of two Dedham Public School students, who was removed from his position as head
football coach after exercising his right as a citizen to raise concerns about his daughter’s
seventh-grade history class curriculum being changed to include biased coursework on
politics, race, gender equality, and diversity (Flynn v. Forrest et al. (No. 21-cv-10256)).

In July 2021, Judicial Watch filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Palatine, IL,
tenured high school teacher Jeanne Hedgepeth, who was fired by the suburban-Chicago
school district where she had worked for 20 years after posting comments on Facebook
criticizing the riots, violence, and shootings in Chicago in the aftermath of the May 25, 2020,
killing of George Floyd. Hedgepeth made the posts on her personal Facebook page while
vacationing after the end of the school year, just as some of the most severe violence was
occurring. In her posts, Hedgepeth recommended studying Thomas Sowell, whom she
described as a “treasure” and a “truth seeker,” and praised political commentator and
activist Candice Owens and talk show host Larry Elder. She alleges that the firing violated
her First Amendment rights.