Adler v. Board of Education (1952) upheld a state law that prevented
members of subversive groups from teaching. Dissenters said the law
violated First Amendment freedoms.
Board of Education of Oklahoma City v. National Gay Task Force (1985)
affirmed a ruling striking down a law punishing teachers for “public
homosexual conduct.”
City of Madison v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (1976) said
nonunion teachers could not be stopped from speaking at school board
meetings.
In Keyishian v. Board of Regents (1967) was an important decision by the
Supreme Court for the concept of academic freedom as a constitutionally
protected value.
In Meyer v. Nebraska (1923) invalidated a state law that banned teaching
foreign languages to schoolchildren. The law violated the Fourteenth
Amendment’s due process clause.
Mount Healthy City School District Board of Education v. Doyle (1977) dealt
with claims that a school teacher was denied tenure for his First
Amendment-protected conduct.
Perry v. Sindermann (1972) said that public university officials violated
the First Amendment when they terminated a professor for publicly
criticizing the Board of Regents.
In Russo v. Central School District (1972), the 2nd Circuit Court said that
teachers have First Amendment rights to stay silent during the Pledge of
Allegiance.
Settle v. Dickson County School Board (6th Cir. 1995) said that a student’s
First Amendment rights were not violated when her teacher refused to accept
her paper on Jesus.
Shelton v. Tucker (1960) said an Arkansas law requiring schoolteachers to
submit the organizations to which they belonged violated First Amendment
freedom of association.
