Teacher banned after telling pupils Rosa Parks did not give up bus seat

"From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story."

"A teacher who told year six children that Rosa Parks "did not exist" and that Martin Luther King was guilty of plagiarism has been banned. Patrick Lawler, 62, was found to have brought the teaching profession into disrepute after making a series of offensive comments. Witnesses explained to the panel how he had told year six pupils in a transition day lesson that Martin Luther King was a fraud and had embezzled lots of money, and that Rosa Parks did not really exist."

The Independent requests donations to fund on-the-ground journalism covering reproductive rights, climate change, and Big Tech while keeping reporting free of paywalls. Donations support sending reporters to gather facts, present multiple perspectives, and produce documentaries such as 'The A Word' that highlight American women fighting for reproductive rights. Separately, Patrick Lawler, 62, was banned for bringing the teaching profession into disrepute after telling year six pupils during a transition-day medieval history lesson that Martin Luther King was a fraud who had embezzled money and that Rosa Parks did not exist, prompting a parental complaint.

Read at www.independent.co.uk