A furious teacher says she has been sacked after refusing to remove her Black Lives Matter face mask.
Lillian White has been wearing the covering since her school re-opened in July.
But she was told it is not policy to display slogans - and administrators say she "effectively resigned" by refusing to follow their dress code policy.
She received a text message from Assistant Headmaster Heather Molder instructing her to wear a different mask immediately.
Mrs White, a teacher at Great Hearts Western Hills, Texas, says she could not accept the reasoning - and refused to comply.
Her contract of employment was cancelled on September 5.
"This is a human rights issue and I did it for my students who experience racial injustice in school. I refused to back down," the teacher of over ten years told CNN.
"If you're scared about what parents are going to say because a teacher is supporting equal rights, you need to re-evaluate the kind of people you're catering to.
"By staying silent, Great Hearts is only supporting racist parents."
She added: "I've been wearing these masks since the pandemic started.
"I started making them and just hadn't even thought about it. I wore them to work for about a week and a half before anyone even said anything,"
In a statement, Great Hearts Texas Superintendent Daniel Scoggin outlined that the school's policy 'forbids faculty from displaying messages on their face masks'.
"We stand with the Black community and all who are suffering," he said on behalf of the school.
"Great Hearts deplores bigotry and its crushing effects on all those subjected to it.
"Great Hearts is committed to an America where racism, violence, and injustice do not happen, because such acts find no home in the hearts of a great people."
Following her sacking, she started a Change.org petition to demand Great Hearts 'implement an anti-racism action plan'.
The petition has been signed by more than 4,000 people.
