You Be The Judge
Test your knowledge of the Five Freedoms and see how you match up to the courts...and fellow citizens.
Educator Freedom
A high school English and journalism teacher failed to censor her students' creative writing assignments even though some of her students used profanity in their work. After a complaint, the school principal terminated the teacher for violating the school's "no-profanity" rule, which had traditionally not been applied to classroom exercises. The teacher sued, alleging a violation of her First Amendment rights. A jury sided with the teacher. The school district appealed.
Can a public school fire a teacher for violating its no-profanity rule?
Vote Now!
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Vote AA. YESTeachers are public employees; as such, they have no First Amendment rights while on the job.
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Vote BB. YESIf officials have evidence that a teacher has knowingly allowed her students to violate a school-wide rule, they can fire her and not run afoul of the First Amendment.
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Vote CC. NOAlthough the First Amendment rights of teachers are not absolute, they do protect the freedom of teachers to decide how best to educate their students.
Icon of Freedom
Paul Robeson
Actor & Activist
Robeson, perhaps the greatest renaissance man the U.S. bore in the
twentieth century, used his platform as a
performer to speak out against fascism, racism, colonialism, and the
oppression of workers. Lloyd Brown, a
writer and long-time colleague of Robeson, called him "the most persecuted, the most ostracized, the most condemned black man
in America, then or ever."
