FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT June 26, 2006 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

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________________________ D . C . D ocketN o. 04 -008 25 -C V -T -N A N G E L A R . G I L D E R - L U C A S , P la in tif f - A p p e lla n t, v ersu s E L M O R E C O U N T Y B O A R D O F E D U C A T I O N , E L M O R E C O U N T Y S C H O O L B O A R D , B R U C E F U L M E R , in h is in d iv id u a l an d o ffi ci al cap aci ty as S u p e r in te n d e n t o f

E d u c a tio n , C A R O L M C G A L L I A R D , in h e rin d iv id u a l a n d o f f ic ia l c ap a c itya s A s s is ta n t S u p e r in te n d e n t o f

E d u c a tio n , J A M E S M Y E R S , i n hi s i ndi vi dua l a nd o f f ic ia l c ap a c itya s A s s is ta n t S u p e r in te n d e n t o f

E d u c a tio n , e t a l., D e f e n d a n ts - A p p e lle e s .

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B efo re M A R C U S , W IL S O N an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: A ng el a G i l der- L ucas appeal s the grantof sum m ary j ud gm entagai nsther cl ai m s und erthe F i rs tand F ou rt ee nth A m endm ent s of the U ni t ed S t at es C on st i tut i on . G i l der- L ucas w as a non t enured pu bl i c hi gh sc ho ol sc i ence t ea cher a nd j uni orva r s i tyc he e r l e a de rs pons orw ho a l l e ge s tha the rc ontr a c tw a s not r e n e w e d b e c au s e s h e r a is e d c o n c e rn s ab o u t th e f a irn e s s o f

c h e e r le a d e rtry o u ts in r e s pons e t o a n i nqui rybythe pr i nc i pa l a tthe s c hool . W e appl yG a r c e tt i v. C eb allo s, N o . 0 4 -4 7 3 (U .S . M ay 3 0 , 2 0 0 6 ), an d co n clu d e th at G il d er -L u ca s’s s p e e c h w a s n o t p r o te c te d b yth e F ir s t A m e n d m e n t b e c au s e s h e s p o k e “p u r s u a n t to [ he r ] of f i c i a l dut i e s , ” i d. a t9. W e a l s o c onc l ude tha tG i l de r - L uc a s ha d no pr ot e c t abl e pr ope rtyi nt e r e s tunde rthe F ourt e e nth A m e ndm e ntbe c aus e s he w a s not e n t i t l e d t o r e - e mp l o y me n tu n d e rs t a t e l a w . W e a f f i rm. I . B AC KG RO UN D T h e E l m o re C o u n ty B o ard o f E d u cat i o n h i red A n g el a G i l d er-L u cas as a n o n te n u r e d s c ie n c e te a c h e ra t S ta n h o p e E lm o r e H ig h S c h o o l in J a n u a ry2 0 0 3 . G ild e r - L u c a s a ls o w a s aju n io rv a r s ityc h e e r le a d in g s p o n s o r . T w o p a r e n ts com pl ai ned abo utun fa i rnes s i n the cheer l ea der try ou t s thatw er e hel d i n M ar ch 2 0 0 4 . T h e sch o o l p ri n ci p al , L o u i e F ryer, co n d u ct ed an i n v est i g at i o n i n t o th o se3

com pl ai nt s and as ked G i l der- L ucas t o com pl et e aqu es t i on nai re thati ncl ud ed s e v e r a l q u e s tio n s ab o u t th e try o u ts . O n A p r il 1 9 , 2 0 0 4 , G ild e r - L u c a s r e s p o n d e d to the que s t i onna i r e a nd r a i s e d s e ve r a l c onc e rns aboutthe try out s . O n M a y12, 2004, F ry e rto ldG ild e r - L u c a s h e w o u ldn o t r e n e w h e rc o n tr a c t. F ry e ro f f e r e d to p e rm it G i l de r - L uc a s t o r e s i gn, butG i l de r - L uc a s di d notr e s i gn a nd he rc ontr a c tw a s not r e n e w e d . G i l de r - L uc a s f

i l e d ac om pl a i nttha ta l l e ge d s he w a s f i r e d be c aus e s he expres se d con ce rns abo utthe cheer l ea der try ou t s. T he di stri ctcourtgrant ed s u m m a ryju d g m e n t a g a in s t G ild e r - L u c a s ’s c la im s u n d e rth e F ir s t a n d F o u rte e n th A m en d m en ts b ec au se itco n clu d ed th at G il d er -L u ca s’s “re sp o n se to F ry er ’s [quest i on nai re ] di d n otaddres s i ss ues of pub l i c c on ce rn” and “ i s r i gh t l y c on si dere d sp eech m ad e p ri m ari l y i n h er ro l e as an em p l o yee th atd o es n o ttri g g er F i rst A m e n d m e n t p r o te c tio n .” T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt a ls o c o n c lu d e d th a t G ild e r - L u c a s d id notha ve ac ogni z abl e pr ope rtyi nt e r e s tbe c aus e nont e nur e d t e a c he r s a r e not e n title d to r e - e m p lo y m e n t u n d e rth e la w s o f A lab a m a . I I . STA N D A R D O F R EVI EW

“ T hi s c ourtr e vi e w s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s gr a ntof s um m a ryj udgm e ntde novo, ap p l yi n g th e sam e l eg al st an d ard th atth e d i stri ctco u rtem p l o yed i n th e fi rst i nst ance . ” Y ang v . G ov ’ tE m pl oyee s I ns. C o. , 14 6 F . 3d 13 20 , 13 22 (11th C i r.4

1 9 9 8 ). “ [A ] m o v i n g p arty i s en t i t l ed t o su m m ary j u d g m en t‘ i f th e p l ead i n g s, de pos i t i ons , a ns w e r s t o i nt e rr oga t or i e s , a nd a dm i s s i ons on f i l e , t oge the rw i th the a f f i da vi t s , i f

a ny , s how tha tthe r e i s no ge nui ne i s s ue a s t o a nym a t e r i a l f a c ta nd tha tthe m ovi ng pa rtyi s e nt i t l e d t o j udgm e nta s am a tt e rof l a w . ’ ” F i t z pa tr i c k v. C ityo f A tla n ta , 2 F .3 d 1 1 1 2 , 1 1 1 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 3 ) ( q u o tin g F e d . R . C iv . P . 5 6 ( c ) ) . “W h e n r e v ie w in g ag r a n t o f s u m m a ryju d g m e n t, th e c o u rt o f ap p e a ls m a ya f

f irm if the r e e xi s t s a nya de qua t e gr ound f ordoi ng s o, r e ga r dl e s s of w he the ri ti s the one o n w h ic h th e d is tr ic t c o u rt r e lie d .” I d . a t 1 1 1 7 . I I I . DI S CUS S I ON G i l d er-L u cas arg u es th ath er sp eech w as p ro t ect ed u n d er th e F i rst A m e ndm e ntbe c aus e i tc onc e rne d the e duc a t i ona l qua l i tyof the s c hool a nd di d not f urthe rhe rpr i va t e i nt e r e s t s . G i l de r - L uc a s a l s o a r gue s tha ts he w a s de ni e d he rr i ght o f f r e e s p e e c h w ith o u t d u e p r o c e s s a n d h a d ap r o p e rtyin te r e s t in r e - e m p lo y m e n t. W e d is c u s s e a c h is s u e in tu rn . F i r s t , G i l de r - L uc a s ’ s r e s pons e t o F ry e r ’ s que s t i onna i r e i s notpr ot e c t e d by th e F ir s t A m e n d m e n t. “A s ta te m a yn o t d e m o te o rd is c h a r g e ap u b lic e m p lo y e e in r e ta lia tio n f

o r[ ] s p e e c h ” p r o te c te d b yth e F ir s t A m e n d m e n t, M o r g a n v . F o r d , 6 F .3 d 7 5 0 , 7 5 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 3 ) , b u t th e S u p r e m e C o u rt h a s e x p la in e d th a t ap u b lic e m pl oy e e w ho doe s nots pe a k a s ac i t i z e n on am a tt e rof publ i c c onc e rn “ ha s no5

F i r s tA m e ndm e ntc aus e of a c t i on ba s e d on hi s orhe re m pl oy e r ’ s r e a c t i on t o the s pe e c h, ” C e ba l l os , N o. 04- 473, s l i p op. 1, a t6. “ [ W ] he n publ i c e m pl oy e e s m a ke st at em ent s pursuantt o thei r off i ci al du t i es , the em pl oyee s are no tspea ki ng as c itiz e n s f o rF ir s t A m e n d m e n t p u rp o s e s , a n d th e C o n s titu tio n d o e s n o t in s u la te th e ir c o m m u n ic a tio n s f

r o m e m p lo y e rd is c ip lin e .” I d . a t 9 . B e c au s e th e r e c o r d r e v e a ls n o g en u in e q u es ti o n ab o u t w h eth erG il d er -L u ca s r es p o n d ed to F ry er ’s qu es t i on nai re pu rs uantt o h erdu ty a s aj un i or vars i ty c heer l ea der s po nsor ra ther th an as a ci t i zen , th e d i stri ctco u rtco rrect l y g ran t ed su m m ary j u d g m en tag ai n st G ild e r - L u c a s ’s c la im u n d e rth e F ir s t A m e n d m e n t. S eco n d , th e sch o o l b o ard d i d n o tv i o l at e G i l d er-L u cas’ s ri g h to f d u e p ro cess w h en i td i d n o tren ew h er co n tract . “ T h e F o u rt een th A m en d m en tp ro t ect s ag ai n st the gove rnm e nt ’ s de pr i va t i on of l i be rtyorpr ope rtyw i thoutpr oc e dur a l due proces s. ” W arre n v . C raw ford, 92 7 F . 2d 55 9, 56 2 (11 th C i r. 19 91 ). “ S t at e l aw d e te rm in e s w h e th e rap u b lic e m p lo y e e h a s ap r o p e rtyin te r e s t in h is o rh e rjo b .” I d .

“ U nde rA l aba m al a w . . . [ , ] anont e nur e d t e a c he rha s no r i ght , s t a tut oryor othe rw i s e , t o be r e - e m pl oy e d. ” F os t e rv. B l ountC ountyB d. of E duc . , 340 S o. 2d 751, 752 ( A l a . 1976) . B e c aus e G i l de r - L uc a s w a s anont e nur e d t e a c he ra nd the r e c or d r e ve a l s no othe rba s i s of e nt i t l e m e ntt o r e - e m pl oy m e nt , e . g. , P e rryv. S i nd erm ann, 40 8 U . S . 59 3, 60 1, 92 S . C t . 26 94 , 26 99 (197 2) (s t at i ng that6

“ m utua l l ye xpl i c i tunde r s t a ndi ngs ” c a n “ s upport[ a ] c l a i m of e nt i t l e m e ntt o the benefi t ” f

or the pu rpose of due process ), the di stri ctcourtcorr ec t l y grant ed s u m m a ryju d g m e n t a g a in s t G ild e r - L u c a s ’s c la im s u n d e rth e F o u rte e n th A m e n d m e n t. I V . CONCL US I ON G ild e r - L u c a s ’s a r g u m e n ts f a il. AF F I RME D.