New settlement details reveal Florida district to pay teacher with Black Lives Matter flag $300,000

The Duval County School Board will pay a former high school teacher who displayed a Black Lives Matter flag over her classroom door $300,000 to settle a lawsuit from earlier this year.

Amy Donofrio, a former Riverside High School (then Lee High) teacher, said she was unfairly removed from her teaching position in March. She made national news, saying administrators told her to take down the Black Lives Matter flag that had been hanging over her doorway. After she refused, the district temporarily reassigned her to warehouse operations and said she was being investigated for “several matters.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center – who represented Donofrio – said the reassignment was an effort on the school district’s behalf to “retaliate” against the teacher and also violated her right to free speech.

This month, the Duval School Board voted to reach a settlement with Donofrio that would prevent the case from a years-long court process that could potentially cost millions of dollars.

Read more from The Florida Times Union.

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