Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Labor & Employment Law Blogs -> New York Public Personnel Law

Labor & Employment Law

: New York Public Personnel Law

New York City school board?s policy prohibiting teachers from political campaign buttons in school held lawful

New York City school board?s policy prohibiting teachers from political campaign buttons in school held lawful
Weingarten v New York City Board of Education, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 08-8702, Jan. 22, 2010

A U.S. district court in New York has ruled that the New York City Board of Education?s
regulation barring teachers from wearing political campaign buttons while in school does not violate teachers? First Amendment free speech rights.

The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) sued, on behalf of three teachers employed by NYCBOE, seeking to prevent enforcement of the board?s regulation that prohibits: (1) wearing political campaign buttons in NYCBOE buildings, (2) posting candidate political materials on bulletin boards designated for union use in NYCBOE buildings, and (3) placing candidate-related political materials in staff mailboxes in NYCBOE buildings.

The court held that the U.S. Supreme Court?s decision in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 US 260, ?and its progeny demonstrate that the governing boards of public schools are constitutionally permitted, within reason, to regulate the speech of teachers in the classroom for legitimate pedagogical reasons.?

Full post as published by New York Public Personnel Law on March 01, 2010 (boomark / email).