Words by Tess Becker
Instead of letting a disparaging letter force a school superintendent out of their post, the community united around them and offered support.
Ben Hill County in South Georgia, where longtime educator Dawn Clements recently became an interim superintendent, became the center of controversy when a letter addressed to Dawn circulated around the community.
In response, Dawn tried to resign but her resignation was refused by the school board.
The note to pastors in the county condemned the LGBTQ+ community and identified Clements as openly gay.
Dawn has been working in the district as a teacher, administrator, coach, and principal for 22 years, and when the school board met to discuss her resignation a crowd cheered after the refusal.
“It is very heartening to see a community come out so overwhelmingly in support of someone who simply is just, by all accounts, worthy of doing a good job and should continue to be employed by the school district,” Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham said.
The community didn’t let Dawn get run out of town by a letter written in such a mean-spirited way.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Peace, Justice, and strong Institutions.
