NC teacher fired over claims he taught critical race theory in classroom

A teacher who used to work at a Charlotte charter school is suing his former employer, claiming the school bent to parent pressure over claims he taught critical race theory in the classroom.

Markayle Gray's attorneys from the law firm HKM said he used the book "Dear Martin" during a Black History Month unit for his seventh-grade honors course at Charlotte Secondary School. The novel deals with a teenager's emotions after being racially profiled by law enforcement.

However, HKM said some parents reportedly complained to school leaders, despite the novel being approved by the administration. In their suit, HKM said the principal, Keisha Rock, saw firing Gray as the only way to avoid pressure from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. According to HKM, a complaint had been circulated to the DPI about the novel's use in the unit.