Educators denounce arrest of Vermillion Parish teacher, plan protest

Vermillion Parish educators and the Louisiana Association of Educators are planning a joint rally Thursday in Abbeville to protest the arrest of middle school teacher Deyshia Hargrave. Hargrave was forced out of a school board meeting Monday (Jan. 8) and later handcuffed after she was ruled out of order when questioning a pay raise for the superintendent.

A YouTube video of Hargrave's arrest has garnered more than 1.6 million views and sparked death threats that caused a temporary lockdown at the school board office on Tuesday.

The LAE and the National Education Association issued a joint statement Wednesday denouncing the arrest and urging educators to gather Thursday as a show of support.

The statement from LAE President Debbie Meaux and Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association reads:

"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."