Parents sue Cobb school district over public comment scuffle

Cobb school board public conduct policy
Jenny Peterson of East Cobb is a frequent commenter at Cobb school board meetings.

More than a year after they were denied public comment slots in a chaotic incident before a Cobb Board of Education meeting, two parents are suing the Cobb County School District and several employees from its communications department.

Attorneys for Melissa Marten and Jenny Peterson filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for Northern Georgia on Thursday, alleging the district and staff members violated their constitutional free speech rights.

(You can read the lawsuit by clicking here.)

The matter at hand took place before the September 2023 board meeting, at which the public comment sign-up table was moved from inside the lobby of the Cobb school district headquarters, to a location outside of the entrance.

They claimed in their lawsuit that the changes were made to prevent district critics from speaking out against the firing of a Due West Elementary School teacher for reading a book to her students about a child with gender identity issues.

The teacher, Katie Rinderle, is suing the district for her 2023 termination. Her attorney, Craig Goodmark, also is representing Marten and Peterson in the lawsuit filed Thursday.

They allege that Cobb school district officials purposely changed the public comment sign-up process to prevent critical remarks about the Rinderle situation, referring to some of those critics as the “bad guys.”

Members of a group called the Cobb Community Care Coalition, which is generally critical of  Superintendent Chris Ragsdale and the school board’s Republican majority, held a rally before the meeting.

Marten and Peterson, an East Cobb resident, lost their slots, and some people claimed they were shoved and injured in the ensuing chaos.

Critics said the change in sign-up policy occurred without any warning, and the result, according to the lawsuit, is that the “plaintiffs were blocked from speaking publicly in opposition to Defendants actions and policies.”

Marten and Peterson are seeking court action to prevent the district from “manipulation of the signup procedures limiting the opportunity of disfavored viewpoints from speaking during the public comment portion of the CCBOE public meeting.”

The backdrop of that Sept. 14, 2023 meeting also included a series of book removals by Ragsdale for sexually explicit content, of which the Cobb Community Care Coalition also expressed opposition.

The individual defendants named in the suit are Ragsdale and his Chief Strategy and Accountability Officer, John Floresta.

That’s the office that directs the district’s communications office, and whose staffers, including Julian Coca, Nan Kiel, Daniel Vehar, Zach Alderson and Amanda Chambers are also named as defendants.

The lawsuit claims that they used the district’s Microsoft Teams messaging system to plan a method to prevent critical speakers. Marten and Peterson, who are frequent speakers during public comment sessions, were wearing “Replace Ragsdale” shirts at the Sept. 14, 2023 meeting.

The lawsuit said that according to the Microsoft Teams messages, obtained through a public records request, the district communications staffers communicated about changing the sign-up process although some people had been waiting in line for lengthy periods.

“Citizens that had been participating in the anti-Ragsdale protest in front of the CCBOE building were physically moved away from the signup iPad. A video of the altercation shows a transgender student crying as the student was violently pushed to the ground and suffered injuries,” the lawsuit states.

At the school board meeting later, Ragsdale lit into his critics over the book removals and his decision to fire Rinderle, saying that the “ ‘radical new idea’ is not that schools have an obligation to protect students, but the radical new idea is that all children should somehow be forced to encounter sexually explicit language and instruction while at school.”

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East Cobb artist to present holiday show of abstract works

East Cobb artist to present holiday show of abstract works

Submitted information and photos:

Lynne McDonald, an abstract artist and entrepreneur, presents a Holiday Art Show, Smoke & Mirrors, at Serendipity Labs (3225 Cumberland Blvd., Suite 100, Atlanta), November 13, 2024 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Lynne has been the featured artist at Serendipity for nearly three years. This Holiday Show will be the unveiling of Lynne’s beautiful new pieces. Guests are invited to enjoy lite bites and drinks. For more information and to RSVP, call 770.765.0590, or visit www.lynnemcdonald.com.

“If you had told me in my twenties that I would be making a living as an artist and stirring souls with my artwork, I never would’ve believed you,” says Lynne. “I never allowed myself to dream that far outside the box. Now I tell people to follow their dreams as wild as you think they are because that is what makes their life unique and special. That is their gift to the world. Just keep saying yes!”

Lynne continues, “I’m fascinated by the organic beauty in nature. Most often my inspiration comes from water. It has a spiritual element that tugs at my soul. I am grateful for the time I’ve spent in beautiful, inspiring places around the world.“

Lynne mixes her own paints and adds different additives or mediums to create different viscosity and pours it onto the canvas. Her vibrant, organic artworks are crafted with acrylic paints, brushes, and unconventional tools such as a blow torch, forks, straws, paintbrushes, fingers…whatever is handy.

Participating in juried events like Summerfest and collaborating with interior designers, Lynne has sold over 400 paintings. Since transitioning into her full-time career, Lynne has curated 13 solo exhibitions, including three Live Instagram shows held during the challenges of the Pandemic, each meticulously produced in various locations, alongside four collaborative showcases.

“Art is subjective. When someone connects with my work and it stirs their soul, I consider that a success,” Lynne explains. “In the studio, I am authentic and vulnerable, because each piece of work is a piece of me. I pour large pieces; I prefer the impact of a large statement piece.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Lynne McDonald started painting in her kitchen in 2015 and made it her full-time profession by 2020. Lynne carefully creates artworks with organic elements and intricate details, gradually revealing themselves over time to evoke immediate emotional responses. Having reshaped her career and life, she radiates hope, inspiring others to break free and embrace life’s possibilities.

Lynne has developed a following and has sold pieces all over the world; from Georgia to Greece to Dubai. As a juried artist, she’s been able to have over fifteen shows in her short career; thirteen of which have been solo. She’s had her work published in a coffee table book, 101 Art Book Floral Edition 2024; in Simply Buckhead and Best Self Atlanta magazines; won numerous awards; and has been on countless podcasts and radio shows to encourage everyone to live life on their terms.

“It’s amazing! I have to pinch myself! I have hundreds of collectors all over the world,” says Lynne. “I have large commercial buildings with my artwork and am currently the featured artist at Serendipity. I have representation in Florida and Alabama. And I have cleared paintings for film and tv work. I am so proud to say that I am an artist!”

Lynne continues, “We are all worthy of our dreams. I took a leap and created the life I wanted. I stepped into my authenticity and started saying yes to possibilities I had never considered. I hope my work inspires others to embrace life. You are the designer of your life!”

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Deadline nears for Cobb PARKS Fun in the Park photo contest

Mabry Park Opening
Mabry Park

Submitted information:

As you have enjoyed your Cobb parks and activities, take a few minutes to go through your favorite photos and submit your best to the Fun in the Park photo contest. You can enter photos of sports, nature, wildlife and anything else that shows why you enjoy spending time in Cobb’s parks, facilities and at events. Enter up to 10 of your best shots in the 20th annual contest. The competition is open to all photographers, amateur and pro. The entry deadline is Nov. 4. See the rules and download the entry form on the photo contest web page.

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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!