Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have all banned Trump, alleging he incited the violence leading to the breach of the building. Principal Thorne asked the young people to consider what happens when other groups filter and decide what you can hear and know about. 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. Barton Thorne's comments on big tech, Donald Trump, McCarthyism and Branch Davidians companies have are under scrutiny from Shelby County Schools officials. Barton Thorne is a career educator who currently serves as principal of Cordova High School for Shelby County Schools (SCS). 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. Office Phone: 901-416-4540, Michael Case (Athletic Director) Email: mail_hide("212216", "cranet", 0, "gro.21kscs") 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. 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. He was then placed on paid administrative leave where he has languished for six weeks without any closure to his case, the filing says. Office Phone: 901-416-7470, Barton Thorne (Principal) Email: mail_hide("212215", "layjo", 0, "gro.21kscs") Disclaimer: The materials contained in this website are for informational purposes and are not to be considered advertising or legal advice. Shelby County Schools is the largest public school district in Tennessee and is one of the 25 largest nationwide. All Rights Reserved. Emotionally charged situations, we have to sometimes temper back, recalibrate, think about the message were sending to our student, spokesman Michael Lowe told the television station. Please take a moment to view this . Email: mail_hide("207526", "casemt", 0, "gro.21kscs") Full-time Teacher, Tasheba Crane (Head Coach) Office Phone: 901-416-4545 The taxpayers and parents in Memphis should be celebrating the fact that Principal Thorne is running Cordova High School as a place to educate kids, not indoctrinate kids. Is the TikTok Benadryl Challenge Actually Suicide Promotion? Email: mail_hide("215108", "sikesd", 0, "gro.21kscs") 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. Because Cordova is like the City of Memphis, its made up of a salad bowl of many different students of all areas of Memphis.. Your email address will not be published. Full-time Teacher, Steven Havrda (Assistant Coach) What happens when you do not have dissenting opinions, when you do not have an exchange on competing ideashow do you know if your ideas can stand on their own if there is no marketplace of ideas? he said. Email: mail_hide("215107", "stuckeyj", 0, "gro.21kscs") (03/07/21) Barton Thorne, Principal at Cordova High School in Tennessee was suspended from his job for making a video and sharing it with students and staff. And not whether or not you agree or disagree with the people being filtered, but can this happen to you one day?, READ: 5 Things to Know About Principal Barton Thorne and His Case Against Shelby County Schools, Your email address will not be published. Phone: Email: Degrees and Certifications: 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. Over the last month, attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center have reached out to school officials numerous times to rectify the situation with no success. 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 Onemedia reportquotes a board member, Sheleah Harris, saying the events at the school were extremely unfortunate and do not reflect the true value of the school or the district. The principal at Cordova High School has been placed on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the review of the comments that were made, spokesperson Jerrica Phillips told television station WREG. Full-time Teacher, Member of Division I, Region 8, District 17, Section 4, Chautara Franklin (Head Coach) But simply allowing Thorne to return to the position that he was wrongfully suspended from is not quite enough. Facebook Page; . Tennessee Principal Barton Thorne was suspended by Shelby County School administrators in January after speaking with his students about the dangers of cancel culture.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, he told them, urging the students to engage in respectful conversations with those who hold differing opinions. Oct 2001 - Jun 201210 years 9 months. Arvind is a recluse who prefers staying far away from the limelight as possible. 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. I think we all know what thats code for. We need more principals like that in America. According to the lawsuit, Thorne says SCS violated his first and 14th amendment rights. This article by Nicole Wells was published January 27, 2023 on newsmax.com. All Rights Reserved. And while doing so, they even told him that he could not talk to the media about it; yet the school policy is that employees CAN talk to media in their own personal capacities. Well, what happens when the marketplace of ideas becomes a forced monopoly? Think about North Korea. According to the lawsuit, Thorne usually delivers a weekly speech to students to educate and inspire them. Denotes school attended/completed rules meeting in current school year. His comments in no way violated his responsibilities to the district under his contract. Suhr said the school needs to make up for damages against Thornes reputation. 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("215528", "smithcolemana", 0, "gro.21kscs") Clara Barton Elementary. Office Phone: 901-416-4540, Josh Beard (Assistant Principal) Copyright 2023 Liberty Justice Center. In his role as principal, he delivers a "principal's message" to his students as part of the weekly announcements' videos. "Yes, we will be replacing Coach Wimberly as football coach at Cordova High School," Cordova principal Barton Thorne said. MEMPHIS, Tenn. On the surface, it might seem that Cordova High School principal Barton Thorne being placed on paid administrative leave for something he said is extreme and much ado about . It is not always pleasant to hear things that you might disagree with or discover that someone holds an opposing position. Email: mail_hide("209515", "robertgjacques", 0, "moc.liamg") Cordova High School The strength of the pack is the wolf. What happens when the marketplace of ideas becomes a forced monopoly. 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 . Email: mail_hide("212944", "havrdass", 0, "gro.21kscs") Giving the example of McCarthyism, the principal encouraged students to Google about the issue or ask their social studies teacher. In a nine-minute speech Monday, Cordova High School Principal Barton Thorne spoke to the school about free speech. If enacted, the platforms will be fined $100,000 per day for every day the candidate is blocked. Copyright Townhall.com/Salem Media. This isnt about Trump, he said. (SBG) High school principal Barton Thorne, who was suspended last month over comments he made about free speech in the wake of the Capitol riot, is returning to work for the first time in six weeks. Think about totalitarian government. Within an hour of filing, Liberty Justice Center senior attorney Daniel Suhr said he received word of Thornes reinstatement at the school. Free speech was being threatened, he alleged, by the actions of. Full-time Teacher, Charles Cooper (Head Coach) Full-time Teacher, Tracy Ratliff (Assistant Coach) His lawyers point out that Thorne never compromised any ethics code for teachers and that his suspension violated the school districts procedures. Come out to the Seeds in the Middle Farm Market onsite at Clara Barton HS. During his presidency, Trump had pushed for abolishing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to remove liability protections enjoyed by social media platforms. Use cash, venmo, cashapp, Zelle, etc. The logos of multinational American Internet companies are seen on a computer screen in Lille, France, on Oct 21, 2020. Attorneys for Principal Barton Thorne claim his right to free speech was violated after he tried teaching a lesson to his students about free speech. Shelby County Schools needs to acknowledge the damage to Principal Thornes reputation and make sure that students know that his message was both appropriate and right free speech is important in our society. 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("207974", "vandaslynch", 0, "moc.liamg") Disclaimer: The materials contained in this website are for informational purposes and are not to be considered advertising or legal advice. (SBG) High school principal Barton Thorne, who was suspended last month over comments he made about free speech in the wake of the Capitol riot, is returning to work for. 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. Thornes suit says the message was even in line with resources the superintendent recommended for teaching students about the Capitol riot and its aftermath. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 After the tragic and disturbing events of January 6, 2021, our country experienced a teachable moment around the importance of free speech and the dangers of cancel culture and deplatforming as social media moderators reacted to the content of various accounts. 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.. What happens when the marketplace of ideas becomes a forced monopoly? We average between 2 and 3 posts a day. (03/07/21) - Barton Thorne, Principal at Cordova High School in Tennessee was suspended from his job for making a video and sharing it with students and staff. And he is absolutely correct. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Be that as it may, he keeps a close eye on what's happening and reports on it to keep people rightly informed. SCS placed him on administrative leave, where he has languished for six weeks without any closure to his case, the lawsuit states. Virginia parents argue school ambassador program is discriminatory. Townhall.com is the leading source for conservative news and political commentary and analysis. Jeter K-8 School; Apparently, defending free speech is a big no-no in Shelby County Schools. CNUSD Connection Newsletter - 1-27-2023. Welcome Home. In each class, program and pathway of study, students are being shaped into good citizens, critical thinkers, effective communicators and lifelong learners. And hopefully, the school district will do that, and then we can bring this case to a close, he said. The suit claims he saw it as a teachable moment about Free Speech and the dangers of cancel culture. His message touched on the importance of Free Speech in a democratic society, the lawsuit says, and was in line with Tennessees standards for teaching social studies to high school students and in line with generally accepted civics curriculum.. 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. Email: mail_hide("186439", "casemt", 0, "gro.21kscs") Full-time Teacher, John Calley (Assistant Coach) Thorne was soon placed on administrative leave by the Shelby County Schools (SCS) and is currently under investigation for professional misconduct.. Think about McCarthyism think about totalitarian governments, think of North Korea, think of China. Non-faculty, Torrey Lewis (Assistant Coach) This is about speech.. Six weeks after he was placed on leave, he filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district and Superintendent Joris Ray. Thankfully, theyre letting Principal Thorne back into the school and return to do what he loves, which is teach his students, Suhr said. He also claims the district inflicted intentional and negligent emotional distress and caused significant damage to his reputation. Email: mail_hide("216157", "ratlifftn", 0, "gro.21kscs") Full-time Teacher, Ashley Smithcoleman (Assistant 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?, So, anyway, think about that. There have been times even in American history when a small group of people decided what you can hear, he said. 2. A native of South Memphis, Linda has . One of the more disturbing aspects of Principal Thornes suspension was that his message was in full compliance with Tennessees standards for teaching social studies to high school students. 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. Principal Thornes experience is a frightening example of this trend. 7437 Corona Valley Ave, Eastvale, CA 92880. Email: mail_hide("209509", "beardj1", 0, "gro.21kscs") Shelby County Schools Cordova High School Barton Thorne Steve Mulroy. Barton Thorne, until recently the principal of Cordova High School in Memphis, Tennessee, was suspended after speaking to students about the dangers of big tech censorship. - Principal Thorne used this moment to talk to his students about the importance of free speech in a democratic society. Required fields are marked *. This article by Nicole Wells was published January 27, 2023 on newsmax.com. It was only after he filed a lawsuit, Thorne v. Shelby County Board of Education, on February 23 that Principal Thorne was reinstated. The focus was on helping his students think critically about how the position being taken by tech companies like Facebook and Twitter could impact their future and how it could impact free speech in the future. Principal Barton Thorne called it "shocking and disappointing" to be removed for speaking to students about the First Amendment. Six weeks later, Thorne filed a federal civil rightslawsuitagainst the district and Superintendent Joris Ray. Office Phone: 901-416-4540 Office Phone: 901-416-4540 What sort of fruit salad nonsense is the Office of Equity and Access? All Rights Reserved. What happens when you do not have dissenting opinions, when you do not have an exchange on competing ideashow do you know if your ideas can stand on their own if there is no marketplace of ideas? he said. The day after his message, Shelby County Schools placed Thorne on administrative leave. Many of you have complained that you never see our content in your news feeds.