A school security guard isn’t likely to show that a decision to terminate her violated her speech rights, so a New Jersey federal court refused to block the district’s decision.
Mary Czaplinski was a security guard for the Vineland School District.
After a Philadelphia officer was shot and killed by black assailants, Czaplinski posted on Facebook: “Praying hard for the Philly cop shot today by another black thug.”
Someone emailed the post to the superintendent and expressed concern about a racist school security guard.
Czaplinski was charged with “conduct unbecoming a public school employee” and was fired.
She sued, claiming the termination violated her speech rights. She asked the court to issue an injunction preventing her termination.
The court refused, noting she was not likely to win her claim because public employees have limited speech rights.
In this case, Czaplinski’s “position as a security guard is to resolve disputes and maintain peace. The email shows someone found the post racist and troubling,” the court explained.
That shows the district “likely had adequate justification based on Plaintiff’s position as a security guard” for its decision, the court held.
Czaplinski v. Board of Educ. for the City of Vineland, No. 15-2045 (JEI/JS), 2015 WL 1399021 (D.N.J. 3/26/15).
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