Connecticut
Connecticut teacher sues after being disciplined for criticizing 'identity, privilege' training
A Connecticut teacher is suing Hartford Public Schools for allegedly violating his First Amendment rights after he disagreed with an “Identity and Privilege” training.
John Grande claimed in a federal lawsuit that Hartford school officials “fabricated” evidence during a “witch hunt” investigation against him after he disagreed with the training. The Hartford Public Schools district implemented the training in 2020 titled “Identity and Privilege” via Zoom as mandatory professional development.
Grande was a gym teacher for the school system for over 30 years.
“I was targeted for punishment by school district administrators because I refused to endorse their agenda to push critical race theory on teachers,” said Grande, who is filing the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.
PRINCIPAL FIRED AFTER ALLEGEDLY SCOLDING STUDENTS WHO REFUSED TO ATTEND CLASSES ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
John Grande filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, against Hartford school board. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“They launched a witch hunt against me and ran a kangaroo court to convict me for exercising my free speech rights. They threatened my career to silence me, but with this lawsuit, I’m leveling the playing field and forcing school officials to answer for trampling my rights.”
The “Identity & Privilege” training, Grande believes, was part of an effort to push critical race theory in the school system.
Per the lawsuit, the Privilege Presentation provided “examples of privilege” and used language that would prompt Grande, a “straight, white, Christian male,” to mark “yes” in a section of his “identity wheel.”
“Based on those prompts, Mr. Grande believed that the Privilege Presentation targeted a certain class of people, including him, and was an exercise in critical race theory, rather than one aimed at improving the education of students,” the lawsuit stated.
WISCONSIN UNIVERSITY SUED FOR ALLEGEDLY DEMOTING STAFF MEMBER FROM DIVERSITY POSITION FOR BEING ‘WHITE’
With the help of the Fairness Center, physical education teacher John Grande filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut against the school board and administrators. (Google Maps)
The lawsuit alleges that the school district attributed language to him that he refutes saying. The gym teacher faced accusations from fellow participants that he made statements about the training that were false as well as a survey response he alleges was altered to include language he had not attested to.
In October 2021, school board members conducted a pre-disciplinary hearing to discuss Grande’s statements. After deliberations in the hearing, the Board issued a disciplinary letter about Grande’s “inappropriate and unprofessional” conduct.
Grande who is represented by the Fairness Center, urged the court to rule that the Hartford Public Schools officials’ conduct was unconstitutional under the First Amendment and to rescind the disciplinary letter from his employee file. The physical education teacher also requested that the court “award him compensatory and punitive damages.”
John Grande was a gym teacher for Hartford Public Schools for over 30 years. (iStock)
This came after the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations ruled in Grande’s favor in August 2023 when he brought the issue to the Hartford Federation of Teachers (HFT). According to the CT Insider, the Hartford Federation of Teachers refused to hear Grande’s complaint about Hartford Public Schools because he was not a dues-paying member.
He also claimed that the HFT supported the “Identity and Privilege” training.
The Board of Labor Relations declared that the HFT illegally discriminated against him based on his membership status. The decision enshrined all workers in Connecticut the right to fair representation.
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Hartford Public Schools did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
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Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
WASHINGTON (7News) — A Park Police chase ends with a moped rider getting hit and killed on the Taft Bridge in Northwest D.C.
7News’ Washington, D.C. reporter, Phylicia Ashley, went to the scene moments after it happened Saturday evening and spoke to multiple witnesses.
Ximen DeFillippes was riding her bike near Woodley Road when she saw the chase.
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“The Park Police passed me. We were on Woodley Road. And then I saw the car they were pursuing,” said DeFillippes. “It was going very fast on the sidewalk. It drove up on the sidewalk up Woodley Road.”
DeFilippes was on one side of the Taft Bridge.
“I’d never seen anything that crazy,” said DeFillippes. “It was, it was like really like homicidal. It was just insane. I’ve never seen anything like that.”
7News also saw the aftermath of the chase and found Lamont Penry on the other side of the bridge. He also saw the chase. It ended on the steps of the Chinese Embassy staff housing.
“The car crashed into the diplomatic car,” Penry said. “A young man jumps out, takes off running down the street. The other three guys came out kind of dizzy. They apprehended one who was on the bench. One was at the rear. Tire of the vehicle, looked to be a Camry, and the other was on the other side of the diplomatic car.”
In the middle of the bridge, 7News saw the victim’s body covered by a white sheet. Witnesses said that when the chase reached the Taft Bridge, one of the vehicles involved struck someone riding a scooter.
“Once the gentleman on the bridge was hit. We realized that no one stopped,” said Penry. “Police continued the pursuit until here, and then they turned around.”
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Penry said all the alleged suspects involved looked young. While on scene, 7News saw one person get arrested and placed in an ambulance.
DeFilippes was riding her bike when she said two cars blocked her from getting caught in the midst of the chase.
“I’m feeling lucky that for those few seconds of my path being kind of blocked,” said DeFillippes. “I’m just so glad that happened. Or else I would have been right there. I’m not at all surprised that someone was hurt. Just. Just from the way everything was unfolding, I could just tell it was going to be bad.
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