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AFT Resolution

FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYEES ON CAMPUS

WHEREAS, the California State Supreme Court in the case of Los Angeles Teachers Union vs. Los Angeles City Board of Education unanimously upheld the right of teachers to engage in First Amendment activities on school grounds; and

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers has always supported the right of teachers to engage in constitutionally protected activity on school grounds:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers call upon all of its locals to adopt the following model policy:

All educational employees shall have the right, on school grounds, to engage in conduct protected by the Constitution of the United States. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Freedom of speech, including the wearing of emblems or buttons, or the carrying of picket signs.
  • Freedom of the press, including the right to distribute literature.
  • Freedom of assembly or association, including the right to recruit colleagues for membership in any organization.
  • The right to petition, including petitions directed against public agencies, governing boards, and school administrations.

(1970)

Please note that a newer resolution, or portion of a resolution, may have superseded an earlier resolution on the same subject. As a result, with the exception of resolutions adopted at our most recent AFT convention, resolutions do not necessarily reflect current AFT policies.