A Duval County teacher who hung a Black Lives Matter flag in her classroom says she heard she was fired through a YouTube video.
On Monday, Amy Donofrio鈥檚 legal team released a statement criticizing a recent from Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran at Hillsdale College, a private conservative school in Michigan. Corcoran used Donofrio as an example while about critical race theory and curriculum oversight and announced that he had her fired.
In March, the school district announced Donofrio would be from her classroom while Duval Schools conducted an investigation for 鈥渟everal allegations.鈥� The district declined to say what those allegations are, citing the active investigation. By April, the Southern Poverty Law Center announced it was Duval Schools on Donofrio鈥檚 behalf.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting sued right now in Duval County, which is in Jacksonville because there was an entire classroom memorialized to Black Lives Matter,鈥� Corcoran said during his presentation. 鈥淲e made sure she was terminated and now we鈥檙e being sued by every one of the liberal left groups who say it鈥檚 freedom of speech issue.鈥�
Duval County Public Schools told the Times-Union on Monday morning that Donofrio is still an active employee within the school district.
鈥淭he employee is assigned to paid, non-teaching duties,鈥� a spokeswoman said.
Public records show that Donofrio鈥檚 teaching certificate is still active and that she has faced no disciplinary actions from the state department of education as of this time.
A spokeswoman for the Southern Poverty Law Center said now that Corcoran鈥檚 statement about Donofrio is out in the open, they need answers.
鈥淢s. Donofrio was devastated to learn from Commissioner Corcoran鈥檚 public statements of the decision to terminate her employment even though Duval County Public Schools still refuses to provide Ms. Donofrio with any details of the 鈥榓lleged misconduct鈥� for which she was told she was being investigated,鈥� a statement from the SPLC said.
鈥淭hat this decision has been made by those at the highest level of Florida鈥檚 Department of Education before the DCPS investigation is even completed shows the depth of the retaliation and deprivation of due process and free speech upon which Ms. Donofrio鈥檚 lawsuit against the District is based. According to Corcoran, a classroom that teaches Black Lives Matter or what Corcoran has labeled 鈥榗razy liberal stuff鈥� justifies censorship and the firing of teachers.鈥�
The Times-Union has reached out to the Florida Department of Education and Corcoran鈥檚 office for comment.
In a separate statement, Donofrio described hearing Corcoran鈥檚 latest statement as heartbreaking.
鈥淲hile I am heartbroken that the retaliation against me continues, I will not stop fighting for my rights so that other teachers do not have to endure the retaliation, harassment, and humiliation that I have as a result of co-creating a safe learning environment with and for Black students,鈥� she said.
