COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Due West Elementary School teacher Katie Rinderle has been on leave for more than a month over a controversial book reading.

On Thursday she could find out if she will get to keep her job.

Rinderle picked up the book “My Shadow is Purple” from the school’s book fair. She said out of several options, her students chose to read it back in March.

The book, which features a nonbinary character, centers around challenging gender norms.

“That’s what our conversation was really focusing on … the power of not only embracing your unique differences and abilities, but then valuing those in others and learning from those,” Rinderle said in a video from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Less than a month after giving her students an assignment focused on the book’s themes, the Cobb County School District said her choice of book violated Georgia’s new Divisive Concepts Law. The law, which was passed in 2022, gave parents more control over what’s taught in the classroom.

In the new law, school districts must respond to complaints from parents or other concerned citizens, and people who don’t like the outcome can appeal to the state Board of Education. If the board finds the school district in the wrong, it could suspend some or all of its waivers from state regulation.

After a complaint by parents, Rinderle’s attorney said she was put on administrative leave and is facing termination. If she’s fired, she’ll be the first public school teacher to be terminated under the new law.

In a statement, the Cobb County School District defended their actions.

“Without getting into specifics of the personnel investigation, the District is confident that this action is appropriate considering the entirety of the teacher’s behavior and history. However, as this matter is ongoing, further comment is unavailable. The District remains committed to strictly enforcing all Board policy, and the law.”

Rinderle’s termination hearing is set for later Thursday morning at the Cobb County School District’s Marietta office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

©2023 Cox Media Group