Saving Mr. T

Carrollton high school teacher placed on leave after being video'd in a dress

Teacher Rachmad Tjachyadi.

Photo courtesy of change.org

UPDATE: On March 6, Rachmad Tjachyadi resigned from Hebron High School amidst the social media backlash. Lewisville ISD completed a thorough review of the incident and determined that Tjachyadi's attire did not go against any official policies.

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A high school teacher in Carrollton was placed on administrative leave on February 14 by Lewisville ISD, after a video was posted online of him wearing a pink dress, hat, and boots for a school spirit day.

Rachmad Tjachyadi, a science teacher at Hebron High School who is also a major supporter of the Dallas-Fort Worth theater scene, drew the attention of a conservative @libsoftiktok account on X (formerly Twitter).

They posted the video with a caption that included, "I’m told he also sometimes shows up to teach dressed in full drag and has a f*tish for wearing women’s clothing. How is this acceptable?!" and "This is a grown ass man."

The next day, Hebron principal Amy Boughton sent an email to the parents of all students that read:

Hebron Families,

It is important to me to keep you informed of situations that impact our campus, even if your student is not directly involved.

You may have seen a video circulating on social media expressing concerns with the way a staff member was dressed at school yesterday.

We are aware of the video, and the staff member has been placed on administrative leave while the district reviews the situation, which is standard procedure. It would be natural for our families to have questions about this situation, but because this is a personnel matter currently under review, there is no additional information the district can share.

Thank you for your support of our campus.

In response, a change.org petition was started on February 15 by Julia Ngo, who wrote:

Recently, Mr. Tjachyadi was put on blast on twitter for wearing a pink dress for a spirit day. He is being called a pedophile, among other names, however, this is NOT the case and he is beloved by many students at Hebron. He is a great teacher, he explains chemistry very well and has created a very fun and safe environment for his students. He does not deserve to be defamed and lose his job. He has been an inspiration to many students, and has created a space where everyone can feel valued and safe. He is in no way a pedophile or publicizing a "fetish". In fact, many students in his class encouraged him to wear the dress in the first place. He has pushed many students to become better and shows genuine care for his students. The recent decision to place him on probation has left our community frustrated and disappointed. It would be a great loss for Hebron High School to lose a teacher like Mr. Tjachyadi. Free my boy Mr.T.

The petition currently has more than 13,000 signatures, and many comments in his defense, calling him a hard-working and dedicated teacher who cares about his students.

"Mr. T has done so much to create a safe space for students at this school and is one of the best teachers I've ever had," said one comment. "He doesn't deserve any of this name-calling/hate because he dressed up for a literal school dress-up day lol."

"I'm so mad that he gets punished for the crime of looking fabulous," wrote another.

education

Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

politics