Hammell, a middle school language arts teacher, was fired Tuesday for reasons that were not disclosed to her, to her students, or to their parents, Hammell and parents said Wednesday.
“She was terminated,” Jennifer Lothert, a Sonora-based attorney who has three children at Gold Rush Charter School, said Wednesday in a phone interview.
Between 45 and 60 middle school students took part in the protest, and 10 to 15 parents were there to support their children.
Riley Schlichtmann, an eighth-grade student at Gold Rush Charter School, held a sign that asked, “Why?” with the hashtag #HammellStrong.
Gold Rush Charter School enrollment for the next academic year is expected to exceed 400 students, including kindergarten through eighth grades, high school, and independent study.
Hammell believes she was terminated in part because she filed a human resources complaint in October, and other information in March, alleging a Gold Rush Charter School administrator has engaged in abusive behavior, gaslighting, and intimidation of teachers and other employees.
Gold Rush Charter School was founded in 2001 by educators Kathleen Hansen and Eda Pardee, and a community member, James Gallno, who served for a time as the school’s vice principal, according to the school’s website and Gallno’s LinkedIn page.
High school students and independent study students go to classes and meet with teachers on a campus on Village Drive, near the Sears south of Mono Way.
The school has a five-member board with one vacancy.