Hope Moffett has been a teacher for less than three years, but already she has become a lightning rod for controversy. She says she is being fired for speaking her mind. The school district says she's in trouble for endangering students.
"It is unacceptable for a teacher to act in that manner," said Associate Superintendent Penny Nixon.
The district says Hope Moffett is one step away from being fired because she gave students /*SEPTA*/ tokens to attend a protest rally. They say that constitutes a school trip without parental consent.
But Moffett says she is being punished for trying to save her school. When the district recently decided to convert Audenreid High School into a charter school, Moffett spoke out against it publicly. She says the district's reaction was swift and harsh.
"They removed me without charges and without informing me as to why, with a gag order which would have precluded me from talking even to my union representatives," Moffett told Action News.
But Moffet didn't go quietly. She continued to speak out. When she was removed from the classroom she was told she was under investigation for stirring up student unrest. Since then, she has been told she may be fired for giving students transit tokens.
"Those actions placed the safety of those students in jeopardy," said Nixon.
The Philadelphia teachers' union says it isn't about tokens. It is about muzzling teachers who don't agree with the administration.
"This is about intimidating teachers. It's about bullying teachers," said Jerry Jordan, president of the /*Philadelphia Federation of Teachers*/.
Even the Philadelphia chapter of the /*NAACP*/ has weighed in on the issue, calling Moffett a victim of "royal vengeance" by Superintendent of Schools Dr. /*Arlene Ackerman*/. They say they will join the union in fighting for Moffett's rights.
