Beverly Hills teacher sues district over firing after anti-Trump Facebook post
A longtime Beverly Hills history teacher filed a wrongful-termination suit claiming her dismissal over an anti-Trump Facebook post caused severe anxiety and physical symptoms.
Beverly Hills history teacher Joanie Garratt, a Harvard graduate with three decades of district service, was dismissed days after the 2024 election for a Facebook message condemning a pro-Trump rally on the high-school campus. The suit alleges the rally involved students wearing MAGA hats, displaying Trump flags and hurling racial slurs at the Black Student Union. Assistant superintendent Mathew Horvath informed Garratt that the district would not have her back in the classroom because of the post, leading to her termination on Nov 13 2024.
Garratt asserts the loss of her job triggered intense panic attacks, nausea, weight loss, tremors and humiliation, violating BHUSD policy that bars discipline for personal beliefs unless illegal. Represented by attorney V. James DeSimone, she is seeking general and special damages, contending her criticism of the rally is protected speech. The district has not responded to comment requests.
Why it matters
The case highlights the tension between teachers' free-speech rights and school district policies on political expression.
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