Q: I recognize that we’re all entitled to our own views, and I don’t care what party someone belongs to, or if we have differing views on taxes or whatnot. But I have a colleague who is vocal that she thinks the election results are fraudulent. She loudly and vehemently supports the insurrectionists who rioted at the Capitol. I know she flies the Confederate flag at her home, and she jumps on any colleague who suggests the attack was wrong, usually presenting a string of lies as “facts” and calling the rioters “patriots” and “heroes.” She jumps on anyone who even uses the word “insurrection” to describe the events that happened on Jan. 6.
We really are as diametrically opposed ideologically as two people can be and, given her views, I no longer see her as a good person. On a personal level, I keep my distance. I unfollowed her on social media a good year and a half ago because her misinformed and inflammatory political posts kept getting me all riled up. She’s entitled to her opinions about me, too, of course, and I’m sure she doesn’t like me. But she’s a teacher, and it’s hard for me to see her views as being compatible with being a role model or even an effective educator. Can I flag this for human resources? Is any of this even technically wrong? I don’t want to waste my energy, but I feel ethically obligated to say something.
A: You can flag whatever you want for human resources, but it’s hard to predict what they’ll do with that information. For what it’s worth, you’re not the only person wrestling with this question. More than 5,000 signatures are on an online petition calling for Susquehanna Township School District in Central Pennsylvania to fire a teacher who petition organizers say attended a Trump rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. There’s no evidence of law breaking, but community members shared a video of him singing mask-less at the protest and say they want him removed for “the safety of the students he is influencing on a daily basis.” The Susquehanna superintendent has asked for patience while the district investigates the matter, noting, “We must ensure that we respect the right of all citizens, including our employees, to exercise their First Amendment right to free speech and peaceful assembly” on their own time and away from school.
Meanwhile, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a teacher was “temporarily relieved of his teaching duties” for posting that he was “doing his civic duty” by protesting at the Capitol. In a letter referencing the decision, superintendent Thomas Parker cautioned other district employees to weigh their future social media posts. He wrote, “We are reminding our staff to think carefully about what they share online and how it could affect their students and fellow community members. While we all have the right to express ourselves, it is important to do so respectfully. We ask the same of our students and families.”
And in Wisconsin, Burlington Area School District high school social studies teacher Jeff Taff was suspended after telling students he was going to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” rally. One of his lesson plans purportedly included a link to a video promoting unfounded election fraud claims and the comment: “I will be in Washington, DC. Some of you will understand why! Some will not. I am sorry, but standing up for election integrity and our right to vote in FAIR elections is too important for me to NOT be there.” In a statement, the district wrote, “The teacher has been placed on non-disciplinary administrative leave so that we can investigate the totality of the circumstances, as we have not yet had an opportunity to speak with this teacher.”
Districts are going to respond to these types of situations in different ways, and it will be interesting to see how these cases play out. It would be more clear-cut if your colleague had broken windows at the Capitol, but if she didn’t break the law, then it gets more complicated. While teachers don’t check their rights at the school door, those rights come with caveats. Schools can exercise a great deal of discretion, whether they’re responding to on-campus or off-campus remarks or social media posts. Depending on what a teacher says — and where they say it — a district might have legitimate concerns about the person’s ability to be a role model or to serve their students and families effectively.
Which brings me back to your question. You certainly can and should do whatever feels ethically right to you. Your school district may do nothing, consult legal counsel, or add the information to the teacher’s file in case others’ lodge similar complaints or provide additional information. In other words, you can flag your concerns, but then it’s out of your hands.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phyllis L. Fagell
Phyllis L. Fagell is the school counselor at Landon School in Washington, D.C., a therapist at the Chrysalis Group in Bethesda, Md., and the author of the Career Confidential blog. She is also the author of Middle School Matters and Middle School Superpowers, available at https://amzn.to/3Pw0pcu.
