Teacher Rights Outside Of School
You are in an interview and were asked "Are you planning on getting married or having kids in the future?" Would you answer that question, or is that none of their business?
According to title IX and title VII the question is inappropriate and illegal.
A student led news paper called "The Argus". Ran a story critical of the school administration. The next edition the paper wrote about contraception and abortion. The adminstraters are upset and closed the publication. Is closing the school news paper illegal, or legal?
Yes, it is legal for the administrators to close the class because it represents the school.
You feel uncomfortable with the assistant principal due to lewd comments and unwanted touches, do you resign before things get worse, or do you sue the school district for damages?
You can win the court case, but can also resign.
You are reviewing student records and your student Brenda wants to see hers, you have several sensitive comments on her folder so you say no. Her parents call and ask to see the folder. Should you refuse to show them, or explain the procedure and show them?
Parents and Guardians can see the folder. The school board should inform parents of this right.
You live with your significant other, but are not married. The school doesn't agree with your living situation and believe you are a poor role model so they suspend you. Is the school board within its rights, or do you sue?
The school can only suspend you if you disrupt the learning environment.
Your student Armida is sad. You ask what is wrong, she replies with "My father is trapped in Guatamala so he can't come back in the U.S. none of my family members have papers. I am afraid my mother and brother will be tracked down by ICE." You go to the principal and explain the situation without giving names. The principal asks for the students name to deny schooling for the family. Should you tell him the name, or not?
No, because we cannot deny schooling to anyone in the U.S.
You assign a book called "The Terrorist" the students are engaged and discussions are lively and respectful. The parents get upset with the title and the school tells you not to teach it. You persist and your contract is not renewed. Do you sue to get your job back or is the school within its rights?
If the lesson is appropriate, relevant, and neither obscene nor disruptive, you can sue and possibly win.
One student is your primary source of trouble. Several of the class iPads mysteriously go missing. You send the student to the principals' office and they get suspended. Is the action legal, or illegal?
If you chose illegal you are correct. You don't know for sure which student is responsible and the problem student doesn't get the opportunity for self defense.
You don't agree with how the school is handling their funding, so you write a letter to the local news paper. A week later you are brought to the superintendent and fired. Should you go to court and win back your position, or find a new job?
You can win at court as long as the information is public and does not hamper either school disciplined or your performance of duties.
Drug problem occurs in your school and action is needed. Police search lockers and several random students are stripped searched. Are school authorities in their rights, or is this illegal?
Schools can search school property, but cannot randomly strip search without suspicion.
You are on cafeteria duty, you quickly leave to make copies for your next class. While you were gone a students slips on spilled milk and breaks his arm. If the parents sue, were you at fault or not?
You are held responsible for the situation due to not following your duties.
Multiple students wear a shirt that says "I heart boobies" so you tell the students you'll let it slide today, but don't want to see it again. The students explain they are promoting breast cancer awareness. Sure enough they return the next day wearing it again. The principal suspends them. Is the action legal, or illegally justified?
The principal acted illegally. The shirts were starting useful conversations about breast cancer.
You decide to participate in a strike. During the first week the school board decides that you will be suspended for 15 days without pay. Do you fight this suspension, or accept the legal action to the school board?
Kristina failed a quiz and her teacher offers her to retake it after school. She stays after to retake the quiz and the teacher touches her knee and tells her that he will bring her grade up if she is nice to him. Is this sexual harassment, or without witnesses this is a classic he said she said scenario?
The school can only be sued if it displays indifference to the situation.
You use an article from New York Times that pertains to your class discussion. You distribute the article to your students. Have you violated the copyright law, or not?
You have violated the copyright law. You can't print more than one copy of a copyright protected article.
A student objects to a daily prayer recitation. You tell them they can either sit quietly or stand. The prayer is also nondenominational. As a teacher have you broken the law, or demonstrated sensitivity?
You violated the law, teachers are not allowed to lead the class in prayer.