Matthew Hawn, a former teacher at Sullivan Central High School, has had his dismissal from teaching overturned. (Photo: Clark Hodgin)
A Sullivan County teacher who was banned from teaching in 2021 may have a chance at reentering the classroom after a chancery court judge’s decision to overturn his dismissal.
Matthew Hawn, who taught at Sullivan Central High School from 2005 until his firing was thrust into the national spotlight after being terminated following controversy surrounding his contemporary issues class that delved into the role of race in American society. Hawn, who earned tenure in 2008, received backlash from a parent over one of his lessons that centered around the concept of white privilege.
The incidents that led to his firing began when Hawn included a poem titled “White Privilege” by Kyla Jenée Lacey and an article titled “The First White President” by the renowned author Ta-Nehisi Coates as part of his curriculum. The poem included explicit language that then led to a review of his teaching methods after a complaint was filed by a parent.
School administrators said the lessons were unsuitable and dismissed him shortly after the Tennessee legislature passed a law prohibiting the teaching of “critical race theory.” The academic framework involves the way in which systemic racism is embedded into different aspects of society rather than being simply the result of individual prejudices.
Lessons such as Hawn’s have been at the center of controversy after conservative lawmakers have labeled culturally competent content in the classroom that explores race and culture as critical race theory.
The Sullivan County Board of Education voted for Hawn’s dismissal in 2021, a decision later upheld by an impartial hearing officer. In January 2022, Hawn appealed to the Sullivan County Chancery Court, seeking reinstatement and back pay.
A 65-page ruling issued by Chancellor Katherine Priester overturned the dismissal Dec. 17 on the grounds that Hawn’s actions did not constitute insubordination or unprofessional conduct. She ordered his reinstatement with full back pay, also citing lack of prior performance issues, and the overwhelming support for Hawn.
“The Court finds that Hawn was a tenured teacher who was well liked by students, teachers and administrators, Priester said in the ruling. “Hawn had an unblemished sixteen-year teaching record going into the 2020/2021 school year.”
Additionally, the instructional topic of white privilege was never prohibited by the administration during the 2020/2021 school year. The evidence is uncontroverted that Hawn was an exceptional educator, Priester wrote
The judge found inconsistencies in how the school handled his case, suggesting that he was not given clear guidelines or adequate support in addressing the parent’s concerns.
Hawn expressed gratitude in a statement issued to the Tennessee Lookout.
“I am grateful for the court’s decision. I also want to thank all the former students, friends, neighbors and members of my family who have supported me. I look forward to returning to the classroom and reconnecting with my students and colleagues,” he said.
Hawn, who grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee, said in 2022 that in the course of his teaching career the majority of his students were white, and he had been teaching the contemporary studies class for more then ten years without pushback. He frequently included discussions that centered around race and cultural competency, and began to have them more openly after racial tensions arose after the murder of Minnesota man George Floyd.
“There is no dispute that the 2020/2021 school year was a tumultuous year. Our
nation was in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, a contested presidential election, challenges to the results of the election, the January events, and significant racial tensions,” the ruling stated. “Many of the issues related to these events were highly charged and polarizing. Additionally, these issues were ripe for discussion in a course like Contemporary Issue.”
The Sullivan County Board of Education is considering whether to appeal the decision before a mid January deadline.