Georgia Mother Removed from School Board Meeting After DEI Policy Outburst Sparks Police Intervention
A Georgia mother was forcibly removed from a City Schools of Decatur Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening after disrupting proceedings over proposed changes to the district’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.
The woman, Lena Kotler, who claims to be the parent of a transgender child, an autistic child, and a non-binary child, vocally objected to the board’s discussion of DEI rollbacks by loudly exclaiming “Cowards!” during the meeting.
Escalation and Ejection
Following her outburst, Board Chair Carmen Sulton asked Kotler to leave the room. Kotler refused, defending her actions and asserting her right to remain until the public comment period.
“I said one word. I have already stated I have no intention of speaking again until public comment,” Kotler told the board. “I have the right to be here. I have not used harsh language or threats.”
Despite her explanation, the situation escalated. Several police officers arrived minutes later and physically carried Kotler out of the meeting.
As she was being removed, Kotler shouted,
“I’m practicing my rights as a parent. I’m in no way resisting. I’m not resisting, and this is what fascists do!”
She later told Atlanta News First that officers dropped her just outside the building’s front entrance.
DEI Policies Rolled Back
Kotler’s protest came in response to the board’s decision to eliminate a key DEI statement from district policy. The removed language had required all learning environments to be “inclusive, safe, secure, and supportive while also ensuring that no student group is marginalized.”
The board also rescinded or altered four additional policies related to equity and inclusion, signaling a broad rollback of prior DEI initiatives in the district.
A Flashpoint in National Debate
Kotler’s removal highlights the growing tension between parental advocacy and evolving school board policies across the nation. As districts reassess their commitments to DEI programming, emotional exchanges and confrontations like this are becoming increasingly common.
While Kotler’s actions drew headlines, her protest ultimately did not prevent the board from passing the changes, further fueling debates over parental rights, free speech, and the future of inclusion policies in public education.
