Cobb teachers walked out. Why are they the ones under investigation?

Hundreds of K-12 teachers at Cobb County schools are under investigation for leaving a conference after a district leader said support for intellectual freedom is akin to support of child sex trafficking.

If you are wondering how those two things could possibly be related, I’ll refer to the words of Cobb County School District superintendent Chris Ragsdale for an explanation.

In late July, about 200 teachers walked out of a back-to-school kickoff after the superintendent stated that anyone who doesn’t agree with banning books is, by extension, a supporter of child sex trafficking.

The teachers who walked out said they were offended by the superintendent’s assertion. Last week, school officials removed those teachers from classes for questioning. The educators could potentially be accused of insubordination or unprofessionalism.

But who is holding the superintendent accountable for the illogical and inflammatory statements he made about some of his employees?

At a rally designed to inspire teachers for the upcoming school year, Ragsdale veered away from a discussion about academics and employee benefits to comment on politics and divisiveness. Then he lobbed an absurd false equivalence at the audience.

“Every two minutes, a child is sold into trafficking in the United States of America. Let that sink in,” he said, according to a recording of the speech on YouTube. “Now, folks, the sexually inappropriate materials we remove from this school district have one intended action. To condition kids at a young age to accept this whole deal around trafficking is normal some way, shape, or form. And either you agree with protecting kids, or you don’t. There’s no politics involved.”

It’s always amusing when people say “there’s no politics involved” after echoing political talking points.

But Ragsdale’s statement raises a more fundamental question: What evidence is there that books removed from the school libraries are conditioning children to accept sex trafficking as normal?

I reviewed the list of books that have been removed from Cobb County school libraries, and while some books have sexual content, only one of almost 40 banned books is explicitly about sex trafficking.

The teachers who walked out rather than endure Ragsdale’s wild pronouncements needed a moment to collect themselves, said Jeff Hubbard, the president of the Cobb County Association of Educators.

If my boss suggested that I support the recruitment and coercion of children into commercial sex work because I don’t believe in censorship, I wouldn’t just walk away. I would walk straight to human resources to file a complaint.

More importantly, if I were a school leader, giving what I thought was an inspirational talk, and 200 people walked out at the same point in my speech, I wouldn’t question them; I would examine my messaging.

Hubbard said the teachers who are being interrogated have been asked two questions: If they left during the speech, and who gave them permission to leave?

District representatives said the conversations with teachers are to ensure “alignment” and “communication.”

But given the reason these conversations evolved and how they are being conducted, it seems district officials are more interested in ensuring compliance than understanding the teachers’ concerns.

Teachers in Cobb County are reportedly among the highest paid in metro Atlanta.

The district recently boasted about a flood of job applicants and received high rankings as a great place to work.

A fishing expedition hardly seems befitting of such a stellar school district.

For perspective, I consulted Yvette Dixon Ledford, a 25-year veteran educator and author of “Teacher By Day: A No-Guilt Guide to Boundaries, Balance, and Bliss.”

Veteran educator Yvette Dixon Ledford encourages teachers to give more time and attention to their well-being. Teacher burnout isn't a lack of passion but a lack of boundaries, she writes. (Courtesy of Yvette Dixon Ledford)

Ledford, an advocate for teacher success, said a back-to-school rally is the time to motivate and energize teachers.

District leaders rarely have the chance to speak directly to educators, she said, and should use those moments to inspire and listen.

Ragsdale, she said, could have used his time more effectively.

Lack of support from administrators, including disregard for emotional safety and well-being, is a major factor in teacher burnout, said Ledford.

She said she can’t imagine how it would feel for an educator who has dedicated his or her career to helping children succeed to be told by school leadership that they support children being harmed.

“That would cause me to have a bit of anxiety, and I think it would negatively impact a teacher’s primary duty, which is to show up and be there for the students,” she said. “Setting a boundary is not an act of defiance.”

In her reporting on the investigation, my colleague Cassidy Alexander cites the Code of Ethics for Educators, noting that any conduct that impedes an educator’s ability to do their job professionally is prohibited.

If that is the standard, the district should be examining Ragsdale’s conduct, too.

Making inflammatory statements about teachers and then subjecting those who walked away to questioning hardly creates an environment that allows educators to focus on their jobs.

Cobb officials want to know if the teachers left the event and who gave them permission to leave. But they should also be asking why nearly 200 educators felt compelled to walk out in the first place.