Mississippi court overturns firing of educator terminated for reading children’s book

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – After nearly four years of waiting, checking court websites repeatedly for a decision that never seemed to come, Toby Price finally got the answer he was searching for: vindication.

The Mississippi Court of Appeals has overturned the firing of the former Gary Road Elementary School assistant principal, who was terminated in March 2022 for reading “I Need a New Butt!” to a group of second graders during Read Across America Day.

The court’s decision came down Jan. 27, marking a major victory for Price after multiple hearings sided with the Hinds County School District’s decision to fire him.

“I didn’t believe it at first, because I sat at the computer like some kind of nerd each week, reloading the pages to see if there’s a decision, reload, reload, reload,” Price said in an exclusive interview with 3 On Your Side. “And then one morning I got on and reload, and there was something there. My wife had texted me and I said, ‘I think we won.’ And she called me on the phone and she was crying.”

The appeals court found the school district had no substantive reason to terminate Price. Judges noted there were no parent complaints on file, no student complaints, and only vague criticism from teachers who said they “wouldn’t have picked that book.”

More significantly, the court found the school library contained books with similar or worse content than the book Price read — a finding the judges called “whimsical” decision-making on the part of the school board.

“They went through the book itself, they were able to see that there are so many other books in the library that have similar content and or worse content in some cases that are apparently okay. And it was very inconsistent,” Price said.

The court wrote in its decision: “There is nothing concrete in the record demonstrating that the second-grade class was subjected to ‘unnecessary embarrassment.’ No child or group of children was singled out during the reading, and Price acknowledged the outlandish nature of the book’s premise.”

This ruling reversed a 2024 Chancery Court decision that upheld his firing and came after oral arguments before the Mississippi Court of Appeals in September 2025.

Yet even with the court’s vindication, four years of public scrutiny have left their mark on Price and his family. The visibility of the case — which drew national attention — has followed him into everyday life.

A year ago, Price said a stranger in a Walmart checkout line recognized him and hurled a slur at him, calling him a pedophile while his children were present.

“It was all I could do not to break down because I’m not going to break down in front of somebody like that,” Price said. “But it still hurts.”

The incident was witnessed by a checkout clerk who had known Price and his family for years. She defended him publicly in that moment, telling the man, “I’ve been checking you and your family out at this door for years, since they were babies. And there are a lot of things I could call you. But that ain’t it.”

Still, Price said the damage to his reputation persists despite the legal victory.

“So, yes, we get vindicated by the decision, but the visibility like that doesn’t go away,” he said. “And the narrative that they tried to spin is really hard to make that wash off.”

This reality stands in stark contrast to when Price first spoke out about his firing in 2023, expressing hope that the legal process would clear his name.

The appeals court’s decision means Price is eligible for reinstatement and four years of back pay. However, Price said he is uncertain whether he will return to the Hinds County School District — the same district that fired him.

His position was filled four years ago, and Price expressed concerns about returning to work for the same school board members who terminated him, citing fears of potential retaliation.

“My goal is to find a way that I can still help kids and parents and students but not take away from the mission of schools,” Price said. “I don’t know what that’s going to look like yet. But we will find out.”

During the four years away from education, Price pivoted to writing. He has authored children’s books in “The Almost True Adventures of Titus the Monkey” series, which focuses on autism awareness. He is currently finishing a third book in the series and working on a non-fiction memoir about his family and his experiences.

“I love telling stories, and that I could spread some autism awareness, make kids laugh at the same time,” Price said.

Price’s attorney will meet with the Hinds County School District to negotiate details of reinstatement and back pay. A Chancery Court hearing is expected to occur within approximately 30 days to finalize the settlement package.

Despite the uncertainty, Price said he is choosing to move forward with faith.

“When you have a lot of what you kind of base your identity on stripped away or taken away from you, there’s nothing left. So you got to have faith that tomorrow is just going to be okay,” he said. “I don’t know what the answers are going to be tomorrow. I don’t know what tomorrow is going to look like, but I’m gonna be okay.”

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