Running head: PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT 6 1

Portfolio Assignment 6

Angel S. Flores

College of Southern Nevada

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Portfolio Assignment 6

Karen White is a kindergarten teacher who is newly affiliated with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

She informed parents and students that she could no longer hold certain activities, for instance,

decorate the classroom for holidays, plan gift exchanges, or participate in anything to do with

holidays. She also could not sing “Happy Birthday” for students or recite the Pledge of

Allegiance. Parents were unhappy and protested and the school principal, Bill Ward, dismissed

her based on her inefficiency to meet the needs of her students.

The first court case being presented to defend Karen White is Engel V. Vitale (1962). In

this case the New York State Board authorized a short prayer to recite at the start of each school

day. However, a group of organizations had come together to challenge the prayer, saying that it

violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The state cannot hold prayers in

public schools, whether or not the prayer is tied to a specific religion or not. The prayer violated

the Establishment Clause, it breached the constitution’s separation between church and state. The

Court ruled that the daily prayer was inconsistent with the Establishment Clause.

The next case being presented to defend Karen White is Bailey v. Mansfield Elementary

School (2019). In this case we present Stacey Baily who is homosexual, she was suspended for

having “ongoing discussions” with her students about her sexual orientation. Also during a

welcome to school presentation in August of 2017, she showed pictures of her future wife and

her family. After sharing those photos she was accused of promoting a homosexual agenda and

was suspended for eight months. This ultimately led to Stacey Bailey filing lawsuit claiming that

she was discriminated against her sexual orientation in violation of the United States

Constitution. In October of 2019, the courts ruled in favor of Stacey Bailey claiming that the

Constitution clearly protects her rights to be free from sexual discrimination.

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The first court case being used to argue against Karen White is Pickering v. Board of

Education (1968). In this case, we have Marvin Pickering who’s a school teacher, he wrote a

letter complaining about a school board proposal to increase school taxes. The letter complained

about the boards past proposals and funds favoring athletics over academics. The school board

said that the letter was “detrimental to the efficient operation and administration of the schools”

and decided to terminate Pickering’s employment. Pickering then filed suit against the school

board claiming that his letter was speech protected under the First Amendment. The court ruled

in favor of the school board and the Supreme Court of Illinois.

If I were to take the case of Karen White, I believe it is evident that her rights have been

violated, I can find multiple cases to defend Karen White however it is awfully hard to find a

case to argue against Karen White, which is why I have only listed one. Karen White’s

Constitutional rights are being breached, she is being discriminated which is unconstitutional. In

the Bailey v. Mansfield Elementary School (2019) case we have a homosexual teacher who was

also violated by discrimination because of her sexual orientation and won her case. Therefore if

Karen White were to take this to court I definitely believe there would be no chance in her

loosing this case. The reason I listed the first case to defend Karen white which is Engel V. Vitale

(1962), is because it is not like Karen White is actively trying to get her students to join her

religious beliefs or pray with her. However, she just cannot participate in certain activities

because it does not align with her religious beliefs which is her rights as a teacher.
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References

Cbs. (2020, February 25). 2 Time Teacher Of The Year, Stacy Bailey Settles Sexual Orientation

Lawsuit With Mansfield ISD. Retrieved from https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/02/25/2-

time-teacher-of-the-year-stacy-bailey-settles-sexual-orientation-lawsuit-with-mansfield-

isd/

{{meta.pageTitle}}. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1967/510

{{meta.pageTitle}}. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.oyez.org/cases/1961/468