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National, Louisiana Educators Stand in Solidarity with Educator Arrested for Questioning Superintendent’s Raise

State and Local educators hold a rally to support Deyshia Hargrave and all Louisiana educators and students after Hargrave was arrested for simply questioning a raise given to her superintendent.
Published: January 10, 2018

WASHINGTON-The Louisiana Association of Educators and Vermilion Association of Educators will host a #TeacherVoice rally tomorrow at 3:45 p.m. in Abbeville to stand with Deyshia Hargave and all Louisiana educators and students. Ms. Hargrave is a middle school teacher in Vermilion Parish who was arrested at a school board meeting this week after questioning a raise given to the Vermilion Parish Schools Superintendent despite years of stagnant wages for educators that have made difficult the retention of the educators Vermilion students deserve.

LAE President Debbie Meaux and National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García released the following joint statement regarding the arrest of Ms. Hargrave.

“As educators, students are at the center of everything we do and the voices of educators are essential to ensuring a great education for every child regardless of ZIP code. The arrest of middle school educator and LAE and NEA member Deyshia Hargrave is a chilling infringement on her rights but educators will not be silenced. We encourage all educators to wear black on Thursday, January 11th to stand in solidarity with Ms. Hargrave and the students of Vermilion Parish.”

What: 

Rally for #TeacherVoice in support of Deyshia Hargrave and educators and students of Vermilion Parish. More info available here.

Who: 

Deyshia Hargrave, middle school teacher

Suzanne Breaux, President, Vermilion Association of Educators

Debbie Meaux, President, Louisiana Association of Educators

Other public officials

When: 

Thursday, January 11, 2018 -  3:45 p.m.

Where: 

Magdalen Square Abbeville, Louisiana

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The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.