Board accepts resignation of teacher at center of Trump shirt controversy
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A Cherokee County teacher at the center of a Trump t-shirt controversy will officially be out of a job at the end of the month.
The Cherokee County School Board decided Thursday night to accept Lyn Orletsky's resignation.
Ms. Orletsky taught math at River Ridge High School in Woodstock. She was caught on video telling students to turn their Trump Make America Great Again t-shirts inside out.
Ms. Orletsky said it wasn't political. She told FOX 5 News she feared the shirts would upset other students since some hate groups had started using the "Make America Great Again" slogan.
"It had to do with the slogan that had been adopted by certain neo-Nazi groups," said Orletsky.
One of the students who was wearing a Trump shirt said he felt like his first amendment rights were violated.
"Just because a neo-Nazi group uses that, doesn't mean what the slogan stands for, Make America Great is Donald Trump's saying, our awesome president," said the student who did not want his name used.
Ms. Orletsky was placed on administrative leave. State Senator Michael Williams, who is running for Governor, organized a rally calling for her to be fired.
"To even assume that a handful of neo-Nazis can adopt a slogan that 60-something million people in this country adore, it's insane," said Sen. Williams.
There were no public comments made at the Cherokee County School Board meeting when members made the decision to accept Ms. Orletsky's resignation. Parent Sharis Mayer said the board bowed to pressure.
"I'm shocked that people are allowed to drag around their first amendment right over the common decency to other students in the classroom," said Mayer.
The student who wore the shirt said he continues to wear it every Thursday and hasn't had any problems.
"If you're offended by a shirt, I think there's something wrong with your political agenda," he said.
When Ms. Orletsky handed in her resignation, she released this statement:
"After attacks on my character and threats on my life, I have made the decision to resign from my teaching position at River Ridge High School. While in hindsight I would have handled it differently, the outcry over the incident has been disproportionate to the event itself."