Judicial Watch Sues MA School System for Violating Free Speech Rights of Fired Administrator
“was fired over lawful social media posts addressing matters of public concern”
Barnstable is on Cape Cod. The whole region is notoriously liberal.
From Judicial Watch:
Judicial Watch Sues Barnstable Public Schools for Firing Associate Principal Over Protected Facebook Speech
Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a federal lawsuit against Barnstable Public Schools in Massachusetts for violating the First Amendment rights of a former associate principal who was fired over lawful social media posts addressing matters of public concern. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on behalf of John Bergonzi and alleges retaliation for protected speech in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983, as well as breach of contract and promissory estoppel (Bergonzi v. Barnstable Public Schools (No. 1:26-cv-10059)).
Bergonzi is a long-time public school educator who left a tenured teaching position after being hired as an associate principal at Barnstable High School for the 2024–2025 school year. Prior to extending an offer of employment, Barnstable Public Schools told Bergonzi multiple times that no employment offer would be extended unless and until the school district reviewed his social media activity, including his Facebook page, for any issues or concerns. It was explained to him that a social media check was a routine part of the district’s interview process.
After Bergonzi completed the onboarding process, resigned from his prior job, and began work, the school district fired him for Facebook posts he had shared before he was hired. According to the complaint, the Facebook posts addressed matters of public concern, were made in Bergonzi’s capacity as a private citizen, and did not identify him as a Barnstable Public Schools employee.
According to the lawsuit:
As of the December 10, 2024 termination, Barnstable Public Schools had not identified any disturbance caused by [Bergonzi’s] posts. Other than the single email from the individual whose name was withheld from [Bergonzi], Barnstable Public Schools also had not identified any instance in which a parent, student, co-worker, or member of the public raised any concern about [Bergonzi’s] posts, his social media activity, or his fitness to serve as an associate principal. Nor did Barnstable Public Schools identify any concern about [Bergonzi’s] work performance or professionalism.
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Comments
What did he say?
It’s a matter of [Le]Chance.
I believe that William Jennings Bryan once said, “A man cannot command a salary for saying what his employer does not want said.”
Sounds about right.
Or teaching what they don’t want taught. And vice versa.
The communist regime does not accept criticism.