EXCLUSIVE – A school district in Colorado was sued after it revoked the position of a dean of students allegedly for pushing back against critical race theory in its professional development programming, despite originally promising there would be no consequences for open dialogue.
America First Legal (AFL) filed the lawsuit against the Cherry Creek School District on Wednesday, accusing the district of violating the First Amendment by having “terminated his employment under false pretenses” after plaintiff Patrick Hogarty expressed his views against CRT during a mandatory diversity training session.
“Disguised as a ‘budget cut,’ Mr. Hogarty’s position as dean was eliminated because the district found Mr. Hogarty’s pride in the United States of America incompatible with the district’s political ideology that America is a systemically racist nation,” the lawsuit, obtained by Fox News Digital, alleged.
Hogarty, who served as dean of students at Campus Middle School from 2021 to 2024, voiced his belief in American identity and the greatness of the United States during the session, which focused on race and equity through the “Courageous Conversations” program, according to the suit.
For example, Hogarty was asked, “What does it mean to be White?;” “What experiences define Whiteness?;” “How do you identify?”
Hogarty responded “that he identifies as an American, that he loves his country, and that he believes it is the greatest country ever founded.”
Despite assurances from the district that his comments would remain confidential, the district’s equity director reported his statements, which the director deemed to have “racist undertones.”
Shortly after, the district eliminated his position, citing budgetary reasons, despite records showing increased staffing allocations, the suit said.
AFL contended that the real reason for the employee’s dismissal was his refusal to embrace race-based ideologies promoted during the training. The legal action names several senior school officials, including the superintendent and the principal, for their roles in the alleged retaliation.
“Like other school districts across the country, Cherry Creek has replaced the Bill of Rights with the ‘DEI Manifesto,’ and teachers, students, and parents are being silenced for standing up for the values that make America great,” Ian Prior, America First Legal Senior Advisor, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“We are proud to stand up for all teachers across America who are being unfairly persecuted for daring to challenge a government-sponsored orthodoxy that teaches hatred of America and seeks to marginalize people based on their viewpoints and the color of their skin,” he added.
The Cherry Creek School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
