US Muslim Advocacy Group Hails Union’s Support for Pro-Palestine Teachers

IQNA – A letter written by a teachers’ union in support of American teachers who have pro-Palestine views has been welcomed by a Muslim advocacy group.  

The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Tuesday welcomed the letter issued by the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) calling on the Montgomery County Public School System (MCPS) and its agents to cease and desist blatantly violating unit members’ rights to due process by issuing letters to school communities regarding personnel matters when an MCEA unit member is placed on administrative leave, prior to an investigation having taken place.

“Courts have consistently affirmed that public employees, such as public-school teachers, do not forfeit their constitutional rights when entering the workplace,” said CAIR attorney Rawda Fawaz. “The First Amendment safeguards the right of public employees to express their views, as private citizens, on matters of public concern without unwarranted interference from a government entity, including as their employer. It is disturbing to see MCPS’ blatant disregard for their employees’ constitutional rights, but inspiring to see the MCEA reaffirm their members’ rights.”

“The lives of MCPS teachers unjustly placed on administrative leave in recent weeks have been upended,” said CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “They deserve our advocacy as they navigate this ordeal to get back into the classroom with their students where they belong. CAIR welcomes this strong statement of support for them by one of Maryland’s largest and most powerful unions.”

MCPS has placed multiple teachers on administrative leave due to expressing their viewpoints supporting Palestinian human rights.

MCEA’s letter states that “employees appear to be targeted based upon their viewpoint, which constitutes viewpoint discrimination and a clear violation of the employee’s First Amendment rights; but more importantly, the specificity of the letter publicly condemns the teacher’s actions prior to an investigation.”

 

The letter attributed this to “an abuse of power that demonstrated little regard for employee’s Constitutional rights and basic notions of fundamental fairness.”

The letter then states that “the only viable explanation for MCPS’ communication would appear to stem from its personal bias and prejudice, i.e., viewpoint discrimination.” and requests MCPS to “cease and desist issuing letters to school communities regarding personnel matters when MCEA unit members are placed on administrative leave and have not been afforded their due process rights.”

CAIR applauded MCEA’s defense of teachers’ rights and expressed strong solidarity in their call to protect the due process and First Amendment rights of educators in the school system.

Source: Cair.com