Texas teacher Sophie Marie (@sophforpresident) shared on TikTok that she was fired for teaching her students about their constitutional rights.
Yep, you read that right.
Sophie documented the process that ultimately led to her termination over four videos, the final announcing her exit.
In the first, the creator shared notes from a "check-in meeting" with her administrator.
She noted the administrator came prepared with a lengthy list of concerns to be addressed.
But the "concern" that really stuck with Sophie was:
"We've noticed an intentional attempt in teaching your students about their legal and constitutional rights."
After reading that bullet point, the TikToker repeatedly asked:
"Why is that a concern?"
She added text to the video that read, "POV: you're a teacher in Texas," and captioned it:
"You'd think I was teaching way out west but this is downtown Austin..."
You can watch below.
Sophie created a second video that detailed events that led to administration addressing the issue (if we can really call it that).
Along with the original "POV: you're a teacher in Texas..." text, she added:
"In Texas, it's a crime to question the pledge of allegiance."
In her explanation, Sophie shared the higher-ups were alarmed "after they started to notice my third-grade students [were] sitting during the pledge of allegiance," and claimed she was "indoctrinating" her students.
But she assured the act was on their own account "after learning during Holocaust Remembrance Week about propaganda and the Hitler youth, and why Hitler targeted young people — students and children in particular — to spread his ideology."
Her students then became curious about the Pledge of Allegiance, so together they researched its origin and found the United States made it mandatory for students to recite the pledge following the Civil War as a strategy to reunite the nation.
So, the students decided to peacefully protest by sitting during the daily pledge.
And with that Sophie shared:
"My admin doesn't believe that they are staying seated for reasons that they can fully articulate and fully understand and is concerned that I am 'indoctrinating my students.'"
"I am just so grateful that I am finally getting acknowledged for all the hard work I have done this year to 'indoctrinate my students' into being critical thinkers and making decisions for themselves and not just because an authority tells them that they have to."
You can watch the explanation TikTok below.
In her next video, Sophie revealed she was put on administrative leave in March - coincidently just after her first two TikToks were posted - and was sent a termination letter in May.
The text overlay on her video read:
"It's hard to believe that this is the last week with my students before summer break."
And then after a pause, she added:
"Because it's not."
"They put me on administrative leave in March and sent me a termination letter two weeks ago."
Watch below.
In her fourth video, a heartbroken Sophie tearfully explained that she wasn't even able to see her students before they left for summer break, despite her efforts, because she "whistleblew on TikTok instead of 'going through the appropriate channels' to file a grievance."
Through tears, she added:
"And now I don't get to finish the year with my students."
Sophie offered to sign an NDA and even to read an apology script written by her administration on TikTok, but sadly they told her she can never go back on that campus.
You can watch below.
WARNING: NSFW language
Viewers of the video shared their heartbreak for her, noting her termination was incredibly unfair.
@sophforpresident/TikTok
@sophforpresident/TikTok
@sophforpresident/TikTok
@sophforpresident/TikTok
@sophforpresident/TikTok
@sophforpresident/TikTok
Many also expressed their sadness for her students.
@sophforpresident/TikTok
@sophforpresident/TikTok
With stories like these, it's no wonder Texas is facing steep increases of teachers leaving the profession leaving major shortages across the state.
Do better, Texas.
@thesinkingcanoe/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram