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Residents urge board to defend teachers' free speech as online campaign targets an educator
Summary
Multiple speakers at the Sept. 15 public-comment period urged the Gaston County Board of Education to follow state and federal law and avoid disciplining off-duty staff for political speech on social media amid an online campaign targeting a local teacher.
GASTONIA, N.C. — During the public-comment portion of the Gaston County Board of Education's Sept. 15 meeting, several residents urged the board to protect teachers' off-duty speech and exercise caution in responding to an online campaign targeting a named district teacher.
Why it matters: The board must balance public concern about staff conduct with statutory protections for employee political speech and with confidentiality obligations in personnel matters.
Multiple speakers asked the board not to take precipitous personnel action after social media posts by a Gaston County teacher drew national attention and online calls for termination. Emily Judge, who identified herself as a resident and provided a statutory citation, said district officials should follow applicable law.
"These are often statements of political opinions by off duty teachers, which are clearly protected by both the First Amendment of the United States and North Carolina General Statute 126-13," Judge said, urging the board to evaluate instructors on classroom performance rather than off-duty political expression.
Other speakers, including Marlene Weinert and Emily Parker, described online doxxing and harassment and urged the board to consider the safety and staffing consequences of firing a teacher who works with students with disabilities. Weinert said: "A teacher has the right to free speech as afforded by The US Constitution," and Parker told the board, "Please do the right thing."
Several speakers also voiced concern that national activists, not local residents, were driving the calls for dismissal. Terry Elliott, a former district employee and military veteran, said speech rights carry responsibilities and urged the board to weigh whether individuals who cannot exercise restraint should remain in leadership positions.
Board response and legal limits: The board did not discuss personnel matters in public comment and later moved into a closed session under North Carolina law. After returning to open session, the board chair said the board would act "in the most appropriate manner allowed by state and federal law" and pledged to be "as transparent as the law permits" while following legal procedures for public-school employees.
No formal personnel action was announced in open session at the meeting. The chair's post-closed-session remarks referenced applicable state confidentiality and personnel statutes and said the board would follow the law when personnel matters arise.
