The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) A Pennsylvania teacher who was suspended last year during an investigation into his attendance at, and social media posts about, the "Stop the Steal" rally which later turned to a deadly insurrection on Jan. 6 has been fired for refusing to return to work. The freedoms ensconced in the First Amendment are among the most celebrated in the U.S. Constitution. Pennsylvania teacher suspended after Jan. 6 riot fired for "This man is teaching history of all subjects to an 80% minority district, how is this even acceptable?" Banning suspensions and expulsions for willful defiance is the Not naming Moorehead explicitly, Freund said the teachers temporary reassignment is being treated the same as any other teacher whose conduct has been called into question. He has never been charged with a crime. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Even though district officials have spoken with Moorehead to hear his side of the story, they have done nothing to clear his name. Know Your Rights: Searches of Students | ACLU of Northern CA Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, and Ashli Babbit, a Trump supporter from San Diego, died from injuries sustained during the riot,CNN reported. The First Amendment allows people to personally and privately engage in disagreements with their government, said Francis Malofiy. At the same time, the district has an obligation to respect the First Amendment rights of our staff and students., Moorehead posted a picture of himself wearing a Make America Great Again hat and carrying a Revolutionary War flag on Facebook with the caption Doing my civic duty. He also shared a tweet by someone else that said, Dont worry everyone the capitol is insured, to which Moorehead added This.. Have a news tip? The Allentown School District has fired a teacher who was suspended after going to Washington, D.C. for the so-called Stop the Steal rally, which became a deadly Asked what he was trying to convey with the posts, Moorehead said during a CNN interview on Jan. 23 that he was not mocking Black Lives Matter or antifa. A 2006 ruling in another case involving a prosecutor established that public employees are not protected when they speak in their official capacities. : Local economists weigh in after 3rd bank failure in last 2 months, Baby alligator temporarily staying in the Poconos after being found at sewage plant in Allentown, LVHN offering 2nd dose of bivalent COVID-19 booster shot for people 65 and older, immunocompromised people, Work to replace busy bridge connecting Lehigh, Northampton counties is underway; there's some good news for commuters, Allentown Service Plaza to close at night during the week as crews do paving work, High Delaware River water levels lead to additional safety requirements at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area this week, Gov. I dont give a flying shit about those babies and I will gladly smash into a school bus, Carr wrote. Paul Davis, a Dallas-area lawyer, was fired from Goosehead Insurance after a Twitter user brought Davis's Instagram posts at the Capitol to light. This 13-year-old is headed to medical school a year after - Legal Statement. Moorehead says he was never closer than a mile away from the Capitol building that day and didnt realize the violence that occurred until after he had left. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Malofiy said that after a seven-month investigation in conjunction with FBI, the district sent his client a letter that stated his presence at the rally did not violate school policy. App of the Day: Poolsuite FM, What the Tech? Moorehead said that while he attended a rally for then-President Donald Trump in Washington that day, he was never closer than a mile from the Capitol building. Teacher Suspended After Jan. 6 Fired for Not Working. Dr. Rick Saccone, a former Pennsylvania state representative and adjunct professor, submitted his resignation to St. Vincent College after he posted a video from the Capitol, FOX 43 in York, Pa., reported. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. "We believe that all individuals have the right to an opinion, but when beliefs and opinions devolve into illegal and violent activities, there will be no tolerance," the college said in a statement. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "I love working in that school. Paul Lancaster Adams, a labor employment attorney, said some states have laws that protect or limit off-duty conduct. I dont know how I can get that trust back. I was trying to highlight what I believe is the double standard that often exists in the media when theyre looking at two different events from two different political groups, he told Smerconish. Carr argued that she had posted her rant as a private citizen, not as a PennDOT employee and that the safety of school bus drivers was a matter of public concern. Im being fired for refusing to come to a place that is unsafe, a situation you guys created., Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. In 1964, Illinois school teacher Marvin Pickering wrote a letter to his local newspaper critical of the administrations spending on instruction and athletics. Im shocked that this happened and Im scared about my future.. 2976 days ago By We walked around the Washington Monument, tried to get closer to the White House, ate a hot dog and then went back to the bus.. Success! ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The Allentown School District is facing a legal battle after it alleged a teacher took part in the Capitol riots of January 6th. District Solicitor John Freund told lehighvalleylive.com on Friday that Moorehead was initially suspended. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Teacher suspended PhillyVoice Staff. He said the false association with the deadly storming of the Capitol has forced him to delete his social media accounts, avoid answering the phone and keep curtains drawn at his house. Teacher suspended after Jan. 6 fired for not working. Parker and School Board President Sara Brace declined to provide additional details or identify the teacher, citing it as a personnel matter,TheAllentown Morning Callreported. Jason Moorehead, who taught at Raub Middle School, addressed the school board Thursday night after a unanimous 9-0 vote to terminate him. Moorehead has said he went to be a witness to a historic day and listen to then-President Donald Trump speak, and that he didnt know about the deadly riot until much later. Moorehead, a social studies teacher at Raub for 17 years, posted pictures of himself at Trumps Stop the Steal rally blocks from the White House grounds. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. The proper thing would be a full apology, Malofiy said. Im being fired for refusing to come to a place that is unsafe, a situation you guys created.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. I believe I was just terminated today by you nine, nine to zero, Moorehead said. The single word This, has become shorthand for expressing agreement with a quoted statement in many internet forums. Please enter valid email address to continue. My best friends are there. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. He said he was never a part of the violence on Jan. 6, but that the school board painted him as an active participant in the riots., When the district finally admitted to me privately that I had done nothing wrong and that I could return, they refused to let the community know that I am safe, to alleviate both their fears and my fears about returning, he said. Moorehead never returned to work and he indicated he had no intention of returning, Freund told lehighvalleylive.com. ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) A Pennsylvania teacher who was suspended last year during an investigation into his attendance at, and social media posts about, the A Pennsylvania teacher who was suspended last year during an investigation into his attendance at, and social media posts about, the Stop the Steal rally which later turned to a deadly insurrection on Jan. 6 has been fired for refusing to return to work. ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania high school teacher has been charged with having sex with a minor female student he began tutoring earlier this year. Moorehead had the opportunity to return to work for well over a year and chose not to do so., Speaking to the board Thursday, Moorehead said the board fed the community lies. teacher "Now, when you're a government employer, the law says that you have a right to first amendment right to freedom of speech, very different than in private sector," he said. Allentown teacher suspended Im being fired for refusing to come to a place that is unsafe, a situation you guys created.. Wisconsin Legislators to Consider Opioid Settlement Payout. Until the district completes the investigation and makes a decision on his status, the teacher is still receiving pay and benefits. And did the speech affect the operation of the government agency? WebA Pennsylvania teacher was suspended this week after taking part in Wednesdays riot at the U.S. Capitol, pending an investigation, the Allentown School District said, according The Social Studies teachers controversial social media posts had drastic consequences. Allentowns school board policy on freedom of speech outside of school echoes the precedent laid out in the courts, balancing those First Amendment freedoms with the interests of this district. School board President Nancy Wilt said the board would not comment on personnel matters as it waits for the investigation to conclude. James Harden Dominates, Sixers Stun Celtics to Take 1-0 Series Lead, 7 Cars Involved in Crash, House Catches Fire in North Philly, Police ID 2 Persons of Interest in Triple Homicidein Philadelphia, This 28-Year-Old Pays $62 a Month to Live in a Dumpster He Built for $5,000 Take a Look Inside. The district said previously Moorehead's social media posts about the events of Jan. 6, and not just his presence in Washington that day, were the focus of its probe last year. ", "When the district finally admitted to me privately that I had done nothing wrong and that I could return, they refused to let the community know that I am safe, to alleviate both their fears and my fears about returning," he said. At the same time, the district has an obligation to respect the First Amendment rights of our staff and students. "Is this the kind of person that we want in our school district spending time with our children and influencing minds and hearts?" 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. I met my wife there. I am none of those things, Moorehead said Thursday. Andrews told the Chicago Tribunethat she didn't know illegal actions were taking place. Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. Pennsylvania teacher suspended, others lose jobs over Capitol He appealed under the First and 14th Amendments and was reinstated when the Supreme Court ruled the inaccuracies in the letter were not malicious and did not interfere with the districts operations. The district suspended Moorehead for six months, then ordered him to return to work. He is currently under a paid suspension as Check out these great suggestions. Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice or redistributed. Thus, Zirkel said, courts use a three-part test to determine if a public employee is protected by the First Amendment: Was the expression part of the employees duties, or was it as a private citizen? Jason Moorehead, who was suspended by the Allentown School District following the U.S. Capitol riots, claims his reputation as a teacher has been tarnished by ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) A Pennsylvania teacher who was suspended last year during an investigation into his attendance at, and social media posts about, the Stop the Steal rally which later turned to a deadly insurrection on Jan. 6 has been fired for refusing to return to work. My client has been very very patient in hoping that the school district would do the right thing and at this point, it seems inevitable that we will be filing a lawsuit, Malofiy said. teacher suspended Period.. WebThe Allentown Police Department will host the city's first Youth Academy as part of its ongoing plans to increase outreach into the Allentown School District. Because of the emotion and controversy stirred by the events of January 6, 2021, the teacher has been temporarily relieved of his teaching duties until the school district can complete a formal investigation of his involvement, the district said in a letter on Jan. 8. Follow Hannah & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @hannah_kanik | @thePhillyVoice Partly to mostly cloudy, brisk, and cool. Allentown School District board of school directors voted Thursday to fire Jason Moorehead, who was a middle school social studies teacher at the Allentown School District. His termination was in no way connected to his activities on that date, the districts attorneys John E. Freund, III, and Brian J. Taylor said in a statement. Moorehead was officially reinstated in July 2021, after the investigation found he had violated the districts social media policies, but not its outside activities policy. His attorney said in a Jan. 23 telephone interview, Mooreheads participation in the Trump rally challenging the presidential election results that preceded the attempted insurrection is protected by the First Amendment. "And there's so many issues that matter to me on both sides," he added. The driver who struck and killed an Allentown teacher's aide outside a city high school in September will face charges, according to a report from WFMZ. The districts determination will come down to the delicate balance between an employees First Amendment rights and the schools judgment about what it considers acceptable behavior. HANNITY: CAPITOL RIOTING EXPOSED 'MASSIVE VULNERABILITY' IN SECURITY -- AND AMERICA'S ENEMIES TOOK NOTE. Utahs strong economy and business environment make it an attractive place, but experts and locals say that isnt all the Beehive State has to offer. The best states in the country excel in areas such as economy, fiscal stability and opportunity. If it turns out that while he was down there he was one of these guys running around without a shirt on putting his feet up on peoples desks, we would have a very different case.. Chicagoreal estate agent, Libby Andrews, was also fired after posting on social media from the Capitol, her former employer announced. District officials have not disclosed whether the suspended teacher was among those who breached the Capitol building. He said he was never a part of the violence on Jan. 6, but that the school board painted him as an "active participant in the riots. The Georgia appeals court reasoned that her post interfered with the operation of the middle school where she taught.. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. But those freedoms are not absolute, and over the years, the U.S. Supreme Court has established that government bodies such as school districts may fire employees for what they say if it gets in the way of the agencys mission. President Donald Trump speaks at the "Stop The Steal" Rally on Jan. 6. Over the past half-century, the Supreme Court has issued four major decisions defining the limits of public employees First Amendment rights. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. When the district finally admitted to me privately that I had done nothing wrong and that I could return, they refused to let the community know that I am safe, to alleviate both their fears and my fears about returning, he said. Malofiy said he believes district officials reacted rashly to the outcry over Mooreheads social media posts from the Trump rally and said his client has been made a victim of cancel culture, in which people are penalized for their political beliefs. 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