But an atheist is in fact not an agnostic, and an agnostic does not have to "retreat" from statements that an atheist makes; they don't make them. The atheist does and exposes themselves as only pretending to be an agnostic.
"Usually the expressing hostility to religion in the classroom is rooted in the denial of the possibility of God’s existence."
That's my point. Such actions are not that of a PUBLIC SCHOOL educator practicing agnosticism in the classroom. They are not taking an agnostic position of being neither an advocate nor a denier of any religious precepts. They are not acting as agnosticism would dictate - neutral. They are taking an atheist or secular humanist view and attacking a religious precept. That is not the agnostic, neutral position PUBLIC SCHOOL educators need to take.
I understand all that. But I also know that agnosticism means much more than “nuetrality”; agnosticm is far more complex than that. Books have been written on the subject, including on distinctions of the various flavors of agnosticism.
In the real world, and especially looking at the case in the article that was posted that set off this discussion about agnocticism, just scratch the surface and you will usually find an atheist underneath.