The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District ruled a former Washington teacher’s decision to bring a “Make America Great Again” hat to a school training was protected speech under the First Amendment.
Court documents showed former Wy’east Middle School science teacher Eric Dodge, an educator of more than 17 years, wore the controversial hat while walking up to an Evergreen Public Schools building to attend a staff-only cultural sensitivity and racial bias training.
Dodge did not wear the hat during the training but had it set it out where others could see it near his belongings. Some attendees reportedly said they felt “intimidated” and “threatened” by Dodge’s decision to have the hat with him, court documents said.
In court documents, Dodge said he was “verbally attacked” by Garret and other school employees after bringing the hat again, and that retaliation amounted to a violation of his First Amendment rights.
He then filed a lawsuit against Garrett, the school’s HR officer Janae Gomes, and the school district.
On Dec. 29, the appeals panel ruled in favor of Dodge and decided the school district failed to show evidence of a “tangible disruption” to school operations that would outweigh the teacher’s First Amendment rights.
The court noted that since Dodge did not wear the hat around students or in a classroom setting, his decision to wear the hat represented his beliefs alone and could not represent the school system, unlike other court cases.
Dodge’s lawyers also argued that there was “no general prohibition on political speech” when Garrett told Dodge he could not bring his MAGA hat to school, even adding that Garrett allowed a Black Lives Matter poster to hang in the library and sported a Bernie Sanders bumper sticker on her car.
That happened at the begging of the year and it seems that lefties become even more aggressive towards patriotic flags and hats.
One kid who went viral for wearing an American flag to school was forced by teachers to take it off.
Instead of backing down… he did this the next day!
Video below:
Here’s how the kid was bullied online also:
@blackkout___ EVERYONE STAND FOR YOUR NATIONAL ANTHEM RIGHT NOW. #merica #nationalanthem #americanflag #flagcode ♬ original sound – D Piddy
OPINION: This article contains commentary which reflects the author’s opinion
Reminder: The purpose of the articles that you will find on this website, are to EDUCATE, not to disinform or grow hate and anger!
