Sen. Williams: 'We Are Not Done' Protesting River Ridge Teacher

WOODSTOCK, GA -- The protest at River Ridge High School led by a state senator who is running for the office of governor is now in the books, but the Forsyth County legislator said he isn't ready to put this issue behind him.

Michael Williams and a few dozen of his followers descended onto the right-of-way at the corner of Arnold Mill and Mill Creek roads in Woodstock around noon Wednesday to demand the Cherokee County School District fire River Ridge High School math teacher Lyn Orletsky.

Readers may recall Orletsky made headlines late last month when she criticized President Donald Trump in front of her, class and told two students they could not wear their Make America Great Again T-shirts in her classroom.

On his Facebook page, Williams said he had more than 75 supporters show up and stand in solidarity with his cause. However, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution indicates roughly 50 people braved the heat and humidity to rally for the educator's firing.

Williams, who stressed that Wednesday's protest was "peaceful," said in his Facebook video that he was thrilled to see lots of "patriots who love our country, who love our president, who love our first amendment right as well as all of our constitutional rights come out here and voice our opinion." He also said many passing motorists tooted their horns to show their support of his cause throughout the nearly two-hour protest.

"I want to remind everyone that we are not done," he said, adding that he is encouraging all of his supporters to attend the Oct. 19 Cherokee County School Board meeting to pressure the district to give Orletsky her pink slip.

"We need to remind them that she needs to be fired," he said, later adding that his supporters can't let the issue be "swept under the rug."

Williams initially planned for his protests to be held on Wednesday, Sept. 20. He rescheduled the gathering to Sept. 27 when he realized the original date was during the district's week-long break. The school system also told Williams he would not be allowed to gather at the River Ridge High School-Mill Creek Middle School campus "in accordance with federal and state laws."

For his part, Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Hightower thanked parents for their patience with the "successful additional security measures" that were put in place in response to the senator's plans (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

"We also are grateful for our CCSD School Police Department’s strong partnerships with the law enforcement community," Dr. Hightower said in a letter dispatched Wednesday. "The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office and Marshal’s Office greatly assisted us today in ensuring the protest stayed off campus at the roadside right-of-way."

Dr. Hightower went on to say that no one could have predicted how events may have unfolded if CCSD had not made clear its plans to ensure students and staff have a safe and secure learning environment. Protests that are advertised as peaceful, the superintendent said, have "gotten out of control" and the system was not about to gamble on the safety of its students and staff.

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The system reiterates that it does not agree with its educator's actions and that it backs the Constitutional rights of students to express their political opinions. The administrative investigation into the educator's actions is ongoing, Hightower said.

"We don’t rush administrative investigations or violate employees’ due process and lead taxpayers into costly litigation in order to please a politician or special interest group," he added.

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