Maryam Shakir, 21, was a teacher at Paul West Middle School in East Point, Georgia, which is a part of Metro Atlanta.
Shakir was the only person?from her school to go?through with a planned walkout protest on Dec. 1. She claims that she had to find a substitute teacher for her afternoon classes and?even discussed it with her principal.
“She couldn’t tell me whether or not to protest, but she said there would be consequences,” Shakir said. “And the consequences she mentioned were a cut in pay. So, I was like, OK.”
However, after Shakir?attended?the protest in the school parking lot and later on the campus of Georgia State,?she was informed that she was being terminated.
“In no way do I consider myself having walked out on my students,” Shakir said. “I was walking out for them.”
The Fulton County Schools claims that Shakir wasn’t fired because of attending the protest, but because of how she requested time off. From?CBS46:
A spokeswoman for the school district said that Shakir requested bereavement leave, instead of a personal day. Had she used a personal day, there would have been no problem.
“Ms. Shakir’s employment was terminated because of her failure to follow appropriate procedures for requesting leave, not because of her participation in a national walkout,” said Fulton County Schools spokeswoman Susan Hale. “Fulton County Schools supports its employees in their freedom of expression, but also believes that they should make responsible choices for deciding how to do so.”
Shakir?has no regrets.
“I was just positive that I wanted to do something active, instead of just talking about what happened,” Shakir said.
From her Twitter account:
You can watch the video below and show Shakir your support on Twitter.
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Tiffany Willis is a fifth-generation Texan and the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
