A federal judge has dismissed a suit by a teacher who was reprimanded after showing students a picture of her relatives wearing blackface while participating in a Dutch holiday custom.
Regina Melnyk claimed her First Amendment rights were violated by Teaneck High School’s harassment, intimidation and bullying policy, which was the basis for her reprimand. But U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo of the District of New Jersey said a public employee’s speech is protected if it focuses on a matter of public concern, and the class discussion of the Dutch custom did not fall into that category.
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