A Colorado school district is facing a lawsuit for allegedly firing an educator who expressed pride in the United States during a mandatory diversity training. The lawsuit, filed by America First Legal, accuses the Cherry Creek School District of violating the First Amendment rights of Patrick Hogarty, the former Dean of Students at Campus Middle School.
The incident occurred during a diversity training session called “Courageous Conversations” in January. Hogarty was asked questions related to race, such as “What does it mean to be White?” and “How do you identify?” In response, Hogarty stated that he identifies as an American and believes the U.S. is the “greatest country ever founded.” According to the lawsuit, the facilitators of the program had assured participants that comments would remain confidential and would not affect employment status. However, Hogarty’s comments were reportedly relayed to the school principal and deemed to have “racist undertones.”
Hogarty had served as Dean of Students from 2021 to 2024. In March, he was informed that his position was being eliminated due to “budgetary reasons.” When Hogarty questioned this explanation, the district placed him on administrative leave for “unprofessional conduct.”
America First Legal claims that Cherry Creek School District fired Hogarty because his views on America did not align with the district’s political stance. Ian Prior, Senior Advisor for the organization, argued in the lawsuit that the district “blatantly violated” Hogarty’s rights for expressing his patriotism and opposing a narrative that portrays the U.S. as a systemically racist nation.
Cherry Creek School District officials have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
