Colorado dean of students fired after saying USA is ‘the greatest country in the world’ during mandatory DEI training: lawsuit

The complaint filed on Thursday in the US District Court of Colorado by America First Legal on behalf of Patrick Hogarty, a former Dean of Students at Campus Middle School in Cherry Creek School District, alleges that the school district violated Hogarty's First Amendment rights when it "pressured him to embrace race-based ideologies" during a required diversity training.

During the January 18, 2024 training, Hogarty reportedly responded to a question about his experience being a white US citizen by saying he "identifies as an American who believes the US is the greatest country in the world," the lawsuit said. His answer was allegedly reported to the school principal by Cherry Creek's equity director who accused the dean of using "racist undertones," as per the complaint.

The suit alleges that the school district in March 2024 eliminated Hogarty's position, citing "budgetary reasons." When Hogarty found out about the layoff, he pushed back against the district's justification for his position being eliminated and the school placed him on administrative leave for "unprofessional conduct."

Ian Prior, America First Legal senior advisor, wrote in a press release: "Cherry Creek School District blatantly violated the First Amendment rights of our client when they terminated him because his pride in the United States of America did not align with the district's political ideology that America is a systematically racist nation. Like other school districts across the country, Cherry Creek has replaced the Bill of Rights with the 'DEI Manifesto,' and teachers, students, and parents are being silenced for standing up for the values that make America great."

The Post Millennial reached out to the Cherry Creek School District for comment.