Case Study 1

Teachers Rights and Responsibilities

Giovanna Torres
EDU 210
College of Southern Nevada

Case Study 2

A scenario was presented that states a controversy at a predominant African American

high school, between a white tenured teacher Ann Griffin, the principle Freddie Watts, and
assistant principal Jimmy Brothers. Ann Griffin communicated to these administrators that she
hated all black folks. Word spread through the school, and caused a various amount of
negative reactions. Principal Watts advocated dismissal of teacher Griffin, based on the
concerns he had of her teaching abilities.
Ann Griffin stated an inappropriate comment in the heat of a discussion. She could
argue her case by using her protection of the First Amendment which gives the right to freedom
of speech. The comment she made was also not directed to one person in specific, it was
simply her own personal feelings that she accidently lashed out in anger. She had never acted
upon these feelings nor had ever let them affect her work ethics. She could say that the
comment was not intended to be racist and that she obviously was able to work at a school
with most of the population of students being black. She could try and fight a case like Connick
v. Myers and try to state that she was speaking out of public concern. That maybe the racist
one in the room was not her. That she was being attacked and that it could have possibly been
because she was the only white woman there at the time. If this were to be found true,
wouldnt this be of public concern?
What she could also try and do is go down a different route. Maybe the intensity she
felt coming from these 2 men was so high that in a heated moment of temporary insanity or
irresistible impulse she suffered from a mental defect that made her incapable of controlling
her actions at the time of the act. Remember the John vs. Lorena Bobbitt case? (Okay lets not

Case Study 3

go too far.) But even though this case wasnt as severe, we have to remember that the brain is
sometimes incapable of holding back certain actions or feelings. In this case she could have
been so overwhelmed by the fact that they were 2 against 1 or that things were getting so
heated and out of control, that without a second of a thought she reacted without thinking of
further consequences.
There are many things Ms. Griffin could say to try and help her case. But the truth is
there are too many laws against racism and discrimination. Starting with an almost similar case
of Loeffelman v. Board of Education of the Crystal City School District, the teacher in this case
made some very offending comments to a student when asked how she felt about interracial
relationships. Her answers were not very ethical and the school board concluded that it had
the authority to terminate her contract on the grounds that she had willfully violated board
policy by engaging in discriminatory conduct and making disparaging racial comments. She
tried fighting back by filing an attempted law suit against the school stating that they violated
her freedom of speech. The court ruled in favor of the school board. So just like Ms.
Loeffelman, Ann Griffin didnt take in account the fact that she was undermining her
supervisors authority, or that her comment disrupted and destroyed the effectiveness of
working relationships.
In this case any First Amendment interest inherent by the comment will be outweighed
by the publics interest in having a good non racial teacher. So while she could say her
comment was made out of public concern it doesnt apply just the same like it did for Marvin
Pickering in the case of Pickering v. Board of Education. His letter written to a newspaper about

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his concerns over how the school was handling school funds was seen as a legitimate public
concern. His statements were not directed at people he worked with, nor was there any
disruption to the operation of the school. Not only did Ms. Griffin make the comment to two
African Americans but it caused negative reactions amongst colleagues.
So my conclusion to this case would be that even though Ms. Griffin did not directly
make that comment about anyone in particular, and that the comment was also made in the
heat of a discussion we also have to remember that this is a woman that holds a very important
position in our society. She is the one who provides education for our generations to come. In
this case the publics concern will speak against her. She has become a liability to the school
and I dont think shell be celebrating a victory win with this one.