School districts often admonish teachers to be careful how they represent themselves on social media, especially by not identifying themselves with the district or posting during work hours, so as not to create headaches with parents and community members.
But what happens when the district itself adds fuel to a small controversy, then punishes a teacher who did everything right for the disruption the district caused?
Minnesota's Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools unconstitutionally suspended award-winning teacher Brooke Zahn without pay for her post in a private Facebook group, under her maiden name and from her home, which it obtained from progressive activists and then showed to families with children in her school and all district employees, Zahn’s lawsuit says.
“It was not standard practice in the District or at Jeffers Pond Elementary to broadcast personnel matters to all staff or all families in this manner” and had never happened in Zahn’s eight years teaching in the district, according to the suit, which seeks revocation of the district’s “disciplinary directives” and actual and punitive damages.
“The District had no basis to punish Ms. Zahn, as her speech had no impact on her classroom and did not create a material disruption in the school,” but it &ld ...
