Pennsylvania principal sues school district for 500K after being fired over 'right of center' meme posts on FB
The principal of a Pennsylvania elementary is suing to get her job back after she was fired for allegedly expressing right-of-center political views and sharing conservative memes on her personal Facebook account. In addition, she is also seeking $500,000 in damages for the 'emotional turmoil' she endured. Amy Sacks, a veteran teacher with 20 years of experience, shared in a statement on Thanksgiving Day that the Perkiomen Valley School District and Superintendent Barbara Russell had "decided that the First Amendment Freedom of Speech has no place in public schools and that teachers and administrators are unfit to serve if they hold and express political beliefs that are right of center."
This came after Sacks was terminated from her post as the principal of Evergreen Elementary School in July this year. According to her attorneys, she was "mysteriously removed with little explanation" because District Superintendent Russell found her social media posts to be "offensive, unacceptable, and unprofessional" and branded Sacks "racist."
That said, the memes in question were shared by Sacks at the height of civil unrest during the summer, the Daily Mail reported. "Due to Covid, we’re gonna need people to riot from home and destroy your own s***," one read, while another branded politicians as "professional looters" and juxtaposed an image of Congress next to rioters looting from stores during the George Floyd protests earlier this year.
Sacks eventually released a statement on Thanksgiving, outlining the alleged reasons for her sudden dismissal:
Many of you know that I am no longer the Principal of Evergreen Elementary at this time. However, the circumstances surrounding this situation have been kept quiet until now.
I am reaching out to you today to share with you that as Principal of Evergreen Elementary School I was terminated because I expressed right of center political views - PRIVATELY. Political memes caused me to lose my job. Nothing that I did was even borderline unacceptable - they were simply political viewpoints.
However, Perkiomen Valley School District and Superintendent Barbara Russell have decided that the First Amendment Freedom of Speech has no place in public schools and that teachers and administrators are unfit to serve if they hold and express political beliefs that are right of center. This cancel culture within the public school system has to stop.
I was Principal of one of the best performing elementary schools in Pennsylvania and still fell victim to being canceled out by liberal bureaucrats who don't believe in diversity of thought, speech, opinion, or political affiliation.
With the support of my husband and family, I have decided to challenge the school district by filing a lawsuit against them to save my job. I hope to lead by example and inspire others to stand against the erosion of our constitutional rights in America.
Sacks' lawyers believe that no matter the content of her social media posts, the school board's decision to remove her over them was illegal. They are now suing the district, alleging that she never received a warning or notice. "At no point was Amy advised to get counsel, nor was she informed of her rights; instead she was viciously threatened with career ruination if she tried to contest anything happening," Sacks' lawyers noted.
And while the school board approved her termination, they later stated that Sacks had "resigned."
"The conduct was wildly illegal," Sacks' lawyers continued. "Amy has a near-absolute right to free speech on her private Facebook account. Furthermore, before any action can be taken against a public employee, Due Process requires that the school provide her notice of the charges against her," they added.
The suit reportedly claims that Superintendent Russell told Sacks that her posts had offended a parent who later contacted the school district about her concerns.