A Beverly Hills history teacher has filed a lawsuit alleging she suffered severe health issues, including panic attacks, nausea, and physical tremors, after being fired for posting anti-Trump rhetoric on Facebook. The lawsuit states that Joanie Garratt, a 30-year veteran of the Beverly Hills Unified School District, was terminated days after the 2024 election.
The dismissal followed a social media post in which Garratt condemned a pro-Trump rally held at Beverly Hills High School. According to court documents, students at the rally wore MAGA hats and Trump apparel, with some allegedly directing racial slurs at the Black Student Union and making xenophobic remarks.
Garratt, an AP history substitute teacher, described the student behavior online as "bullying" and attributed the conduct to "His Majesty, King Trump."
She was informed of her termination on November 13, 2024, by Mathew Horvath, an assistant superintendent. The lawsuit states Horvath told Garratt "the school didn’t want her back in the classroom due to her Facebook Post and terminated her."
In her claim, Garratt asserts that the firing caused significant emotional distress, leading to sleeplessness, nausea, weight loss, tremors, humiliation, and damage to her reputation. The suit references a district policy indicating that employees should not be disciplined for personal beliefs or activities unless they violate the law or district rules.
Garratt, who previously filed a wrongful termination claim, is seeking general and special damages. Her attorney, V. James DeSimone, stated that Garratt’s post, which criticized student harassment and linked it to political rhetoric surrounding Donald Trump's re-election strategy, constituted constitutionally protected speech.
The lawsuit was filed against the Beverly Hills High School Unified School District. The Post has reached out to the district for comment.