A federal lawsuit challenging school district policies surrounding “divisive” concepts is on hold again, leaving the question of what support teachers can show to their LGBTQ+ students without fear of retaliation hanging after a metro Atlanta teacher was fired for reading a picture book about gender identity.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Tiffany R. Johnson granted a request to pause a discrimination lawsuit filed against the Cobb County School District until a different court issues a final decision on the 2023 firing of Katie Rinderle, a former teacher at Due West Elementary.

Rinderle was fired for reading the picture book “My Shadow is Purple” to a group of fifth-grade students in March 2023. The book follows a child who does not see themselves as “blue” or “pink,” but “purp

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