Teachers’ union files suit over media restrictions
Source: Toledo Blade
BY NOLAN ROSENKRANS
A controversial Toledo Public Schools policy that restricts staff communication with media has landed the district in federal court, accused of violating the First Amendment.
The policy has been in place for several years, yet it was not enforced. That changed when a pair of athletic directors faced reprimand for violating the policy in the last year. One of those cases prompted the Toledo Federation of Teachers, the union that represents TPS teachers, to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court.
The TFT opposes the policy on news media relations and considers it, in its current form, an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech, union President Kevin Dalton said in a statement.
While the Federation recognizes the boards right to maintain the efficient operation of the taxpayers business, this policy restricts unnecessarily vast amounts of speech by using vague and open-ended terms, he wrote.
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Read more: http://www.toledoblade.com/Education/2014/11/24/Teachers-union-files-suit-over-media-restrictions.html