
A first-grade teacher who spoke out against a Wisconsin school district’s decision to ban “Rainbowland” by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton from a spring concert is facing termination, USA Today reports.
Melissa Tempel told the outlet that James Sebert, who serves as Superintendent of Schools in the School District of Waukesha, notified her on Monday that she’d been recommended for termination.
The termination isn’t official. The recommendation reportedly requires the school board’s approval.
The “Rainbowland” ban drew national media coverage and captured the attention of Cyrus' nonprofit and former President Barack Obama, who followed the dual-language teacher on Twitter after the controversy erupted earlier this year.
Tempel has been on leave since April 3.
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Sebert earlier this year said the district’s decision to ban the song was based on "whether it was appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students" due to "social or personal impacts."
Jill Underly, the state’s school superintendent, last month sent a letter to Sebert and the school board urging the district to reverse its decision to enforce its so-called “Controversial Issues in the Classroom” policy.
Underly said that she was "deeply troubled by the harm caused" by Sebert and the school board's decision to enforce the policy, which bans the use of Pride, Black Lives Matter, Thin Blue Line, and "any other posters or materials to the such" from classrooms.