Running head: TEACHERS RIGHTS

Teachers Rights and Responsibilities

Melissa Avila
Professor Sherry Herington

TEACHERS RIGHTS

Teachers are responsible for only so much in the work area. Lesson plans, meetings,
teaching the material, and watching their speech and actions are only a few. Although partly
dangerous and at many times risking their jobs, the United States Constitution partially protects
them. Along with the protection from the Constitution, there exist numerous cases from courts
that inform us and allow teachers to revisit their rights and responsibilities.
Ann Griffin, a tenured teacher, stated that she hated all black folks. Reactions by many
led the school principal to dismiss her based on concerns regarding her ability to treat students
fairly and her judgment and competency as a teacher. The First Amendment grants us the
freedom of speech. Under this amendment, Ann was protected and in a way it prevented her from
being dismissed
The court case Pickering v. Board of Education is of a teacher, who criticized the Board
of school funds between educational and athletic programs, and the Boards and superintendents
methods of informing, through writing and publishing in a newspaper letter. This ended by the
Court declaring that that letter was not enough for the teacher to be punished. The Court also
stated that as a teacher, he had to keep from criticizing.
Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District summarizes a teacher who was
dismissed from her employment. The teacher then stands to say that her dismissal violated the
First and Fourteenth Amendment. Meanwhile, the court was presented with many reasons the
dismissal occurred, due to the teacher being insulting, hostile, loud, and arrogant.
The court in Garcetti v. Ceballos held that when public employees make statements
pursuant to their official duties, they are not speaking as citizens under the First Amendment.

TEACHERS RIGHTS
That is, in the case of Ann Griffin, even after said what she had said, there was no protection
after her, due to the court rulings in Garcetti v. Ceballos. The Fourteenth Amendment expresses
that no state should deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
Due process is referred to as fairness in all legal matters, in this case concerning Ann Griffin.
Ann Griffin was dismissed due to concerns coming from the principal regarding her
ability to treat fairly and about her job as a teacher. I support this case even though there exist no
rights that protect Ann Griffin as a teacher. Based on the case of Pickering v. Board of Education,
I believe that the actions taken were correct. No one is to know what the real intentions of a
teacher are when stating that she hates a particular group of people. When such actions occur, it
is always best to investigate right away, the outcomes of not doing so could be worse

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References
(n.d.) . In Cornell University Law School. Retrieved February 25, 2014, from
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/04-473.ZS.html
(n.d.). In Justia US Supreme Court. Retrieved February 25, 2014, from
http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/439/410/
Pickering v. board of Education . (n.d.). In Justia US Supreme Court.
Retrieved February 25, 2014, from
http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/391/563 /