Artifact2 Edu 210

Running head: Teacher’s Rights and Responsibilities 1
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Teacher’s Rights and Responsibilities
Deisi Gonzalez
April 3, 2020
EDU 210
College of Southern Nevada

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Scenario
Freddie Watts, the principal, and Jimmy Brothers, assistant principal are African
American administrators who serve at a predominantly African American school. A white
tenured teacher, Ann Griffin, made a biased comment towards people of color that she, “hated all
black folks.” Her comment irritated faculty members among colleagues, both black and white.
Based on her assertion, the principal decided to dismiss her from school because of concern
rewarding lack of capability as a teacher
Against Griffin’s Dismissal
The first case to be brought forward against Griffin’s dismissal is Pickering v. Board of
Education ( 1968), a high school teacher, Marvin Pickering was fired after writing a letter to the
newspaper severely criticizing the superintendent and school board over their handling of school
funds. The district found that the letter was detrimental to the interest of the school causing the
dismissal of the teacher. However, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the teacher alleging a
violation of his First Amendment right of free speech and that teachers, as citizens, do have the
right to make critical public comments on matters on public concerns ( Underwood & Webb,
2006).
In Thinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) students in Des
Moines decided to wear black armbands through a holyday season showing it as a sign to protest
against the Vietnam War. Principals of the school believed it was disruption and created a policy
to ask any student wearing an armband to remove it. The Supreme Court stated that, “neither
students nor teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the
schoolhouse gate (Underwood,2016).
Supporting Griffin’s Dismissal

your selection.
Other situations have brough to the dismissal of teachers and court support of those
actions. In the textbook “School Law for Teachers,” a case named Melzer v. Board of
Education of the city Sch. Dist. Of the City of N.Y has been discussed. A teacher, Melzer, was
found in membership and active participation in the North American Man/Boy Love Association
(NAMBLA), a group that advocates sexual relations between men and boys (Underwood, 2016).
The court declared potentially disruptive to school operations and undetermined his efficacy as
educator because scholars may feel uncomfortable having a teacher who supports such views
(Underwood, 2016). With that being said, this case relates to Griffin’s assertions, despite
technically secure by the First Amendment, were offensive to many faculty members in the
school.
The next case to be presented to the affirmation of dismissal is Loeffelman v. Board of
Education of the Crystal City School District (2004). An elementary school teacher, Jendra
Loeffelman, revealed her perspective to her class and a parent that interracial marriage should
marriage according with their race because children come to school with “dirty little faces and
their hair never combed properly.” (Underwoo, 2016). The Missouri Court of Appeals
administered on her termination and upheld the superintendent’s conducts. The court discovered
that her opinions towards the students and parents did not characterized a matter of public
concern as stated under the First Amendment, and therefore, was not secured.
Conclusion
The fundamental argument to determine whether the white teacher’s assertions
represented relevant matter in the public domain, although her opinions were not given in her
class but to colleagues at work. Her racial expressions clearly relate in the case of Loeffelman v.
Board of Education of the Crystal City School District (2004). Her comments were not a matter
your selection.
of public concern and are considered to disciplinary conducts. Also, not exactly the same, named
Melzer v. Board of Education of the city Sch. Dist. Of the City of N.Y gives another example of
disruption in school. The school principal has the right to dismiss Mr.s Griffins from teaching
and the courts would uphold these actions based on the examples provided.
your selection.
References
Loeffelman v. Board of Education of the Crystal City School District (2004).
Retrieved from https://caselaw.findlaw.com/mo-court-of-appeals/1109760.html
Melzer v. Bd. Of Educ. Of the City of N.Y., 196 F. Supp. 2 d 229
Retrieved from https://casetext.com/case/melzer-v-board-of-educ-of-city-school-dist
Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S 510 ( 1968)
Retrieved from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1967/510
Thinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District ( 1969)
https://www.oyez.org/cases/1968/21
Underwood, J. ( 2006) School Law For Teachers Concepts and Applications. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

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Running head: Teacher’s Rights and Responsibilities 1

Teacher’s Rights and Responsibilities

College of Southern Nevada

American administrators who serve at a predominantly African American school. A white

rewarding lack of capability as a teacher

Against Griffin’s Dismissal

schoolhouse gate (Underwood,2016).

Supporting Griffin’s Dismissal

The next case to be presented to the affirmation of dismissal is Loeffelman v. Board of

The fundamental argument to determine whether the white teacher’s assertions

Loeffelman v. Board of Education of the Crystal City School District (2004).

Retrieved from https://caselaw.findlaw.com/mo-court-of-appeals/1109760.html

Melzer v. Bd. Of Educ. Of the City of N.Y., 196 F. Supp. 2 d 229

Retrieved from https://casetext.com/case/melzer-v-board-of-educ-of-city-school-dist

Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S 510 ( 1968)

Retrieved from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1967/510

Thinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District ( 1969)

River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

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