In a turn of events that pits free speech against educational policy, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a former Waukesha School District teacher. Melissa Tempel took to court after being fired for expressing her disapproval over administrative decisions on her personal social media platform, but the case didn't stand in court, according to the City of Milwaukee.
Tempel critiqued the school administration's choice to nix the song "Rainbowland" for a spring concert, and for this, it seems she paid with her job. Her departure raises flags about the boundaries of teachers' rights to speak freely as private citizens on public matters, and it's stoked debate about the role free speech plays in education settings. Per the District's defense, while Tempel is, at will of the District, her dismissal over a critique has led some, like the author of an article published on the City of Milwaukee webpage, to decry the move as an "unbridled and unprincipled attack on our First Amendment right to Free Speech."
The song in question, "Rainbowland," carries with it the voices of Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton—two singers who've never shied away from controversy. Tempel's choice for her first-grade class might have seemed innocuous to many, but in the eyes of the District administration, it was cause enough for her teaching career with them to be cut short, as stated by the City of Milwaukee.
Following the court's decision, there has been a rally of support for Tempel, amidst concerns that the verdict could set a precedent. The dismissed lawsuit, as the aforementioned article laments, is hoped "to be struck down on appeal," as per the City of Milwaukee. But for now, the conversation around teachers' free speech and its limitations within the educational environment continues to simmer in Waukesha, and perhaps beyond.
