Free Speech or Job Loss

Texas teachers are being put in an impossible position. They are being forced to choose between their freedom of speech and a teaching career. A recent article in the Galveston Daily News describes the TEA’s efforts to punish teachers for their opinions about the Charlie Kirk shooting. The article indicates “about 350 complaints were filed against teachers across the state.” These teachers were fired for their social media comments about the shooting. The Texas Legislature is searching for university comments that might be unacceptable. Punishing teachers for their thoughts is designed to silence speech.

These activities are an attack on freedom of speech for teachers and by extension anyone that might have a critical opinion about the political leaders of our state. If a teacher expresses an opinion on their social media, they are not speaking to their students in their role as teachers. If these teachers lectured their class about Mr. Kirk’s death and failed to teach their classes, that would be a problem. These teachers, based on the article, are not being fired because they tried to indoctrinate their students. Instead, they are being punished because someone did not like their comments about the murder of Mr. Kirk.

These teachers are not indoctrinating students in their classrooms but are simply expressing their opinion about this event on social media. Are Republican legislators going to use their power to silence teachers on other issues? Are teachers expected to expected to follow the Republican line? Will teachers be given a list of acceptable positions to keep their jobs? Will saying positive things about Democrats be outlawed next? Will non-teachers be punished next for their opinions?

TEA and the Texas Legislature should stop policing teacher speech. They should stop monitoring speech. All Americans have the right to share their ideas on social media. The first amendment to the constitution provides this freedom for all Americans. The Republican effort to fire teachers based on their speech is designed to silence opposition to their ideology and policies. As an independent minded Texan, I reject this attack on my freedom of speech. My teaching job should not be based on the exercise of right to speak my mind.

Every time the free speech of any citizen is denied, that act lessens the freedom of speech for all citizens.

– Joe Willis, Legislative Committee Chair