The Teacher's Nightmare: Getting Fired for Good Teaching

Abstract

r. Cissy Lacks is a highly praised and lated. Judge Perry also awarded Lacks apaward-winning language arts teachproximately $76,000, representing back pay er who taught at Berkeley High from the date Lacks was fired through the School in the Ferguson-Florissant end of her trial. School District in St. Louis County, Cissy Lacks' case, however, is not over: Missouri. She has taught for almost claiming an imperative protect the chil30 years, 25 in Ferguson-Florissant. dren, the Ferguson-Florissant School DisIn October 1994, Lacks' trict announced in mid-December 1996 that eleventh-grade language arts stuit will appeal both the verdict and the mondents wrote and videotaped a drama etary award. Accordingly, Lacks' job status exercise which included street lanand award are still pending.-Ed. guage. Three months later, the principal of W W W Berkeley High School heard about the exercise. The next day Lacks was suspended by I told my attorney the legacy you create for me cise. The next day Lacks w as suspended by a d o l e c e s m s et e rg t o e the school district. After a public hearing in and for all teachers must be the right one. I March 1995, she was fired by the Fergusondon't want my name to be associated with the M arch 199 5 , sh e w as fired by th e F ergu son ca e t t ru k a i th h a ts nd m ds o Florissant School Board. case that struck fear in the hearts and minds ofe of the Lacks appealed. In September 1996, every teacher And certainly, I don't want selfOn Judge Catherine Perry in the federal district censorship to take place because teachers do it most wellcourt of St. Louis reversed the decision of themselves out offear I want a strong stateknown recent the Ferguson-Florissant School Board and ment to be made for academic freedom and censorship ordered Lacks reinstated with restitution of teachers' rights to teach because those praccases is that of back pay and legal fees. In addition, Lacks tices make for good education. Cissy Lacks. filed suit against the school district for -Cissy Lacks She tells her abridgement of her First Amendment rights ry. and for discrimination. In testimony at her I am writing this piece because I was sto trial, NCTE Executive Director Miles Meyers fired, and almost no one can make any sense appeared as an expert witness.o of it. But I am increasingly coming to believe In 1996 Lacks was given the $25,000 and to understand that some very scary and In 1 9 9 6 L a c k s w a s g iv e n th e $ 2 5 ,0 0 0 d n e o s c r u s a c s c e t d t e a m s PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment dangerous circumstances created the atmos-