How should a school district deal with a teacher who expresses extremely partisan views and hopes that her political enemies choke?
It’s not as easy a call as some people think it is.
Many will be quick to say that a teacher should be able to post anything he or she desires as an exercise of their First Amendment rights. Others will say that they must be more neutral on these sites and be disciplined to avoid expressing extreme opinions since they are a reflection of the district.
We figure that the correct answer lies somewhere in the middle and must be determined on a case-by-case basis.
The First Amendment must be cherished, and each individual has to retain the ability to say whatever he or she pleases, as long as it doesn’t advocate violence toward others.
But it must be remembered that the First Amendment relates only to an individual being free from being prosecuted by the state for his or her opinions. It does not necessarily pertain to how an employer can react to one’s posts or opinions.
You have every right to trash your employer on social media. And he or she has the right to fire you for doing so.
A teacher has the right to say whatever he or she wants without having the government prosecute him.
But when can a school district say that the teacher has gone too far?
We believe that a teacher should be able to support or oppose any political candidate they so desire.
Had the teacher merely trashed Donald Trump and his immigration policies, we would be hard-pressed to say that the school should discipline the teacher. It’s an entirely different thing, however, if the teacher is imposing her political bias on the students in the classroom.
But in this case, it looks like the teacher went far beyond that and was calling for her political enemies to suffer physical injury and possibly death.
Does the school have a right to say that’s a bridge too far? Do they have a right to insist on a standard that a teacher should not be espousing the pain or death of their fellow citizens?
We think in this case, given the gravity of the post, the school is within its rights to take disciplinary action. We would not feel the same way if she was merely criticizing her government or an elected official on her own private posts.
We understand that many opinions will be formed on this difficult issue. We recognize that it’s not clear-cut. That’s why we’ve taken a nuanced approach.
Let us know what you think.