Cherokee Co. High School students speak out in defense of their 1st amendment rights @ River Ridge HS protest today w/ @williamsforga #MAGA pic.twitter.com/dk12058L2T
— InsiderAdvantage GA (@InsiderAdv) September 27, 2017
About 50 protesters gathered in front of River Ridge High School in Cherokee County on Wednesday to call for the firing of teacher Lyn Orletsky, who came under fire earlier this month when she kicked students wearing ‘Make America Great Again’ shirts out of her class, comparing them to Nazis.
State Senator and Republican candidate for Governor Michael Williams organized the rally, which received sharp resistance from school officials. According to River Ridge administrators a rally would “significantly disrupt teaching and learning and may endanger the safety of more than 3,200 students and staff.” Williams though was undeterred, saying in a statement “We will not be intimidated by your deceitful statement meant to prevent our lawful right to assemble. The protest will continue as planned. Once again, this school has failed to properly handle simple situations. Very disappointing.”
The rally indeed went on as planned, with protesters lining up outside the school’s front gate waving flags and holding signs both calling for Orletsky’s firing and defending the 1st Amendment. Police were lined up at the scene to put a quick stop to any real trouble, but they proved unneeded as the group remained calm and peaceful, even receiving supportive honks from drivers passing by.
Several students both from River Ridge and nearby Cherokee County High School skipped class to take part in the rally. Patrick, from Cherokee High School, told his story about how he was suspended multiple times for his support of then-candidate Donald Trump. As you can see in the video above, he attended the rally to raise awareness against “teachers or anyone else who try to dictate how people think.”
River Ridge, for its part, had little new to share. School officials say they are still investigating the incident, and any final decision regarding Orletsky’s employment may still be months away
