See You In Court! CABE Monthly Column
“See You In Court!” is written by Thomas Mooney and appears in the CABE Journal, a publication of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.
The beginning of the school year in Nutmeg was peaceful. But the peace ended in Nutmeg after a prominent political figure was assassinated on a college campus. Tom Teacher, an English teacher at Median Middle School in Nutmeg, posted several comments on social media expressing the view that the divisive rhetoric of that public figure justified his killing. Word about Tom’s posts got out quickly, and soon Mr. Superintendent was inundated with calls and emails calling for the termination of Tom Teacher. Before Mr. Superintendent could meet with Tom Teacher and his representative from the Nutmeg Union of Teachers, however, a parent sent him an outraged email complaining that Paula Pedant, a history teacher at Nutmeg Memorial High School, told her class that she did not regret the killing because sometimes people must reap what they sow.
Mr. Superintendent met with both teachers and their union representatives, and both teachers admitted to the conduct alleged. Paula Pedant expressed remorse for her comment in class, but Tom Teacher was unrepentant, claiming that the First Amendment protects his right to express his views on the matter. Mr. Superintendent placed both teachers on administrative leave with pay and without prejudice so that he could talk with counsel and decide on next steps.
Meanwhile, the online edition of the Nutmeg Bugle reported on the comments made by both teachers, which generated a number of social media posts that excoriated the teachers for their insensitive comments. The members of the Nutmeg Board of Education were brought into the debate when Nutmeg residents sent them emails and texts weighing in on the controversy. While a few of the communications expressed support for these teachers, most called for the immediate termination of the two teachers, expressing the view that anyone who celebrates the death of another person should not be teaching children.
At the meeting of the Nutmeg Board of Education last night, several parents spoke during Public Comment on the matter, stating that such insensitive posts and statements should not be tolerated. At the conclusion of Public Comment, veteran Board member Bob Bombast moved to add an item to the agenda so that the Board members could have what Bob described as a “sorely-needed” public conversation on the matter. Mrs. Chairperson asked if anyone objected, and when no one objected, she told the Board that she was adding the matter to the agenda and gave Bob the floor to start the discussion.
Bob thanked Mrs. Chairperson for exercising the prerogative of the Chair to add the agenda item, and he launched into a diatribe that ended with his saying that he didn’t see how these two teachers could continue in their employment in Nutmeg. Not wanting to be outdone, several other Board members chimed in, agreeing with Bob that the comments by these teachers cannot be tolerated. As usual, however, Board member Mal Content was a dissenting voice. Mal told the Board members that these teachers were simply exercising their constitutional right of free speech and that the Board members should stay out of the debate.
