Keith Allison is a vegan who tutors second-graders in English and math. His one-year contract with the Green Local School District was set to be renewed, but that changed after he posted a photo of a local dairy farm – one he says undercuts the bucolic image of farming -- on his page.
He says the district – in the heart of Ohio’s dairy country – told him the farm family felt threatened by the post.
Allison insists he did not proselytize in the classroom.
“I don’t teach veganism to them, as much as it’s important to me, my time’s needed to focus on language arts and math.”
The ACLU of Ohio has written to the district saying Allison’s free speech rights are being violated and demanding he get his job back.
Allison’s attorney, Joseph Mead: “The Constitution is the underpinning of public administration. And schools are the training grounds for future citizens. And as a result, they have a special duty to follow the Constitution.”
Mead says Allison’s lack of a written contract doesn’t affect his free-speech rights. Green's school board president says the ACLU letter has been forwarded to the district's lawyer for review.
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