Hope McMath speaks in 2023 about Confederate monuments. | News4Jax
Published on September 26, 2025 at 3:04 pm
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A prominent local activist has been reassigned from her position as an adjunct teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, the district confirmed to News4Jax on Friday.
Hope McMath, a part-time high school art teacher at Douglas Anderson, recently shared posts on her Facebook page that included controversial comments. One referred to Jacksonville City Councilman Rory Diamond as a “grand wizard,” a reference to leaders of the Ku Klux Klan. The district said it is investigating.
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McMath accused Diamond of racism because of amendments he proposed to the city’s budget that would have banned any future city funding for services for undocumented immigrants; diversity, equity and inclusion) programs; and abortion-related care.
Those items weren’t part of this year’s budget, but Diamond said he wanted to ensure they wouldn’t be added in the future.
The amendments were defeated after a lengthy debate that lasted into the early morning hours Wednesday.
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Earlier this month in a Facebook post, McMath applauded four City Council members who walked out during the discussion of Diamond’s amendments.
“Because if you aren’t standing up against this … treatment of our neighbors then get out of the way,” McMath wrote. “We are ALL harmed by this grandstanding and misuse of power.”
More recently, McMath warned about what she called attacks on free speech after Florida’s launch of an online portal to “Combat Violent Extremism.”
Teachers under scrutiny
After the death of right-wing political figure Charlie Kirk, educators have come under particular scrutiny for their online comments. Some who were apparently joking about Kirk’s death faced backlash and firings for what was deemed “hate speech.”
A Clay County teacher at Ridgeview Elementary School was suspended over a social media post that referenced Kirk’s death, the district said.
Duval County Public Schools said McMath “has been temporarily reassigned while the district conducts an investigation.”
A district spokesperson did not provide details but shared a link to the School Board policy that covers employees’ use of social media.
McMath, a Northeast Florida cultural leader, educator and artist, was vocal in the fight over Confederate monuments in Jacksonville, and her Yellow House Art Gallery offers a space for art that is socially conscious.
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
