A Defense of My Livelihood To The Community

To The Community — the only People who are fit to render judgment;

This will serve as my first public comment on my case and it comes after months of waiting and waiting to speak my truth. I have debated with myself many long nights and even longer days; struggling to find an answer within my own brain on if and, more importantly, when I should speak up. Ultimately, to stand on what has been taught in Room 11 over the course of the last five years at Rio was a decision I knew I had to make for these students if I ever wanted to be able to look them in the eyes again. We have ALL learned about Kalief Browder, the Central Park 5, Assata Shakur, Fred Hampton, Malcolm X(El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz) and so many more. We know that “the schools we go to are reflections of the society that created them” and so therefore we know why I must speak this truth. It is my ONLY choice!

For those who may not be as familiar with me: I am a tenured history teacher at Rio Tierra Jr High; I serve as the History/Social Science Department Chair, Boys Basketball coach, Black Student Union advisor, and formerly the club live advisor as well. This is my community, I live in the neighborhood, I see my students at the store, I see them out at the taco truck, I go to their birthday parties at the park, they eat dinner at my house; THIS IS MY COMMUNITY.

To be clear: TWIN RIVERS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT is trying to fire me under false and illegal pretext. Let’s be clear that I DO NOT HAVE ANY PREVIOUS DISCIPLINARY…