Nearly 200 Cobb County educators are being pulled from their classrooms and questioned by administrators after walking out of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale's back-to-school kickoff speech, the teachers union says.

The Cobb County Association of Educators (CCAE) called the questioning "retaliatory," according to Atlanta News First. The figure marks a sharp increase from earlier reports of roughly 100 teachers at eight schools, including Wheeler High School. As we reported Wednesday, questioning was already underway at multiple schools.

CCAE President Jeff Hubbard told Atlanta News First on Thursday, Aug. 27, that the speech left educators feeling "defeated, disgusted and disheartened." He told WSB-TV on Wednesday, Aug. 26, that teachers are being asked two questions: why they left the speech and whether they had permission to do so.

"They are being interviewed and possibly are facing consequences for standing up for themselves, and we will stand up for them," Hubbard told WSB-TV on Aug. 26.

The district framed the effort differently. In a statement, the Cobb County School District said leadership has continued conversations with individual educators to ensure alignment and communication, and characterized the process as a personnel investigation whose details are not publicly available.

Ragsdale delivered the nearly hour-long speech on July 29 at Harrison High School. He told staff that unnamed others are "trying to use you as teachers to condition kids of something as tragic as trafficking," according to WSB-TV's reporting. He also addressed President Donald Trump's visit to Wheeler High School and the district's book removals.

As reported Aug. 21 by East Cobb News, Ragsdale told staff there is "no room for disagreeing with what we're doing" and that anyone who disagrees "has no business in education or anywhere around education, where there is responsibility of kids."

Heather Tolley-Bauer, who leads the watchdog group Watching the Funds Cobb, told WSB-TV on Aug. 26 that teachers reported Ragsdale equated books with child sex trafficking and suggested disagreement meant complicity. Her group shared concerns from 30 anonymous teachers at the Aug. 20 school board meeting.

Hubbard said the questioning began five days after that board meeting. He also noted at least one teacher who is a sexual assault survivor left the speech because Ragsdale's remarks triggered painful memories.

The CCAE said it will provide representation to any member who needs it. The district has not announced a timeline for concluding the investigation or whether teachers face formal discipline.