Beverly Hills substitute teacher's lawsuit claims she was wrongfully fired over anti-Trump post
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- A former Beverly Hills Unified School District substitute teacher has filed a lawsuit claiming she was wrongfully terminated over a social media post that criticized President Donald Trump.
Joanie Garratt says she was fired after publishing the post on her personal Facebook page, outside of school hours.
"It was an amazing 30 years and I enjoyed almost every moment of it," she said at a news conference.
Garratt spent 30 years in the classroom -- 15 of those years in the Beverly Hills Unified School District. In November 2024, she was at Beverly Hills High School as a substitute, helping students prepare for the AP U.S. history exam.
That's when things took a turn.
"It was certainly one of the most traumatic experiences of my life, because I looked at Beverly Hills Unified School district as my home away from home. where I spent so many years and had so many wonderful experiences," she said. "And now I'm persona non grata."
It happened after this a pro-Trump rally on campus the day after the 2024 presidential election.
Students in MAGA gear cheered and waved trump signs -- but according to Garratt participants some took it too far, harassing and intimidating other students.
"This was extremely intimidating to students of color and students who did not agree with them," V. James DeSimone, Garratt's attorney, said at the news conference. "Several of those students went to Joanie Garratt's classroom and they confided in her, some teary eyed."
The next day, Garratt took to her personal Facebook page. She accused the pro-Trump students of harassing their classmates and using racial slurs. She blamed Trump for the behavior.
Six days later, Garratt received an email from Assistant Superintendent Matthew Horvath.
"It said, 'Posts which appear to be from your personal account have come to my attention. Please plan to meet with me tomorrow to discuss,'" DeSimone told reporters. "Mr. Horvath told her, look we don't want you here anymore.' She goes, 'Am I fired?' 'Yeah, we don't want you coming back.'"
Now, nearly two years later, Garratt is suing the district, arguing that it punished her for expressing her political views on her own time and her own Facebook page.
Garratt is seeking unspecified damages and arguing that the district violated both state labor law and her First Amendment rights.
Her lawsuit points to the district's own policy, which says an employee's personal political beliefs or activities cannot be grounds for discipline, as long as they don't violate the law.
"Free speech still exists in the United States of America," DeSimone said. "Freedom of speech is important, and people should be able to express their opinions without fear of retaliation."
