Tensions are high in our ever-evolving political climate.
The terms ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘freedom of expression’ are often thrown around when one person doesn’t agree with another person’s opinion.
Does freedom of speech have limitations?
What matters more: who you support, or what they represent?
These are the kinds of questions that we’re trying to answer as a country, and there are no right answers.
A New Jersey teacher came under fire in 2017 for changing a student’s yearbook photo.
Susan Parsons of Wall High School was suspended for cropping out the shirt logo in student Grant Bernardo’s yearbook portrait.
The shirt originally read: “TRUMP Make America Great Again.”
Before 2017, Parsons had photoshopped several other student photos.
She was allegedly forced by the school to edit out cellphones, hats, a pro-feminism sticker, and even a wheelchair.
Another student had complained earlier that a Trump logo was cropped out of his own portrait as well.
Grant felt as though the edit was an attack on his freedom of speech.
“I mean, he is our president,” he explained, “He’s the president of the United States. How is that offensive?”
All of Grant’s siblings are reportedly named after U.S. presidents , which is why he wore the shirt.
The boy’s mother was equally appalled.
Tammy claims that she was never involved in any conversations regarding the shirt before it was cropped out.
“If there was a problem, somebody could have just told me,” she said. “They had a re-take day. But no one said anything.”
Now, the teacher is suing her school district for wrongful suspension.
Parsons claims that the administration used her as a scapegoat:
Without conducting any proper investigation into the allegations with respect to the 2017 yearbook, Defendant Superintendent Dyer immediately initiated a public campaign to shield the administration from any responsibility for the yearbook edits by creating a false narrative to cause the public to falsely believe that Plaintiff was responsible for the censorship of the 2017 yearbook.
“The school’s actions were outrageous in character and are regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community.”
The suit goes on to explain that after Parsons was suspended, she received death threats at home and via messages to the school.
The district has yet to receive the lawsuit.
Superintendent Cheryl Dyer released a statement regarding her confidence in winning the case.
“When the full facts come to light, all of the actions of this office and the Board of Education will be found to be wholly appropriate.”
h/t Yahoo!
