Ep. 32 | Teaching the Truth on Trial (Again) in Tennessee

Following the 2020-21 school year, the Sullivan County (TN) school board fired Matthew Hawn, a high school social studies teacher. As was reported at the time, the School Board punished Mr. Hawn after he assigned his Contemporary Issues class a Ta-Nehisi Coates article and shared a spoken word poem by Kyla Jenee Lacey. On Monday, after nearly three years, Mr. Hawn had his first opportunity to challenge his firing in Court. Jon traveled to Tennessee to observe the hearing. In this episode, Jon and Arnie explore the dynamics in the courtroom, the case's vast implications, and a question that hung over the day: “Is White Privilege a Fact?” Many listeners will hear echoes of the Scopes trial, a notorious 1925 case involving a Tennessee teacher who violated a state law that banned instruction on evolution. Interested in learning more or supporting Coach Hawn? Visit his GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-coach-hawn