Opinion ID: 3038677
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Academic Freedom

Text: Borden argues that the right to academic freedom affords him the right to exercise professional judgment in teaching his players respect for others, or as he calls it, “Character Education.” In making this argument, Borden specifically points out that he is both a football coach and a tenured teacher at EBHS, and states that “[he] believes in teaching [the players] how to be persons of good character and principle.” teaching.”). If Garcetti applied to this case, Borden’s speech would not be protected as it was made pursuant to his official duties as a coach of the EBHS football team and not as an ordinary citizen. However, even if Garcetti does not apply in the educational context, Borden’s conduct is not on a matter of public concern for the reasons just described. 34 We have held that a teacher’s in-class conduct is not protected speech. Bradley v. Pittsburgh Bd. of Educ., 910 F.2d 1172, 1176 (3d Cir. 1990) (“Although a teacher’s out-of-class conduct, including her advocacy of particular teaching methods, is protected, her in-class conduct is not.” (internal quotation marks and citations omitted)). The rationale for this holding is that the teacher is acting as the educational institution’s proxy during his or her in-class conduct, and the educational institution, not the individual teacher, has the final determination in how to teach the students. See Brown v. Armenti, 247 F.3d 69, 74-75 (3d Cir. 2001). In order to determine if the teacher’s conduct is considered in-class conduct, we must determine whether the teacher is engaging in one of the “four essential freedoms” that constitute academic freedom. Id. at 75. The “‘four essential freedoms’” include the right of an educational institution “to choose ‘who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admitted to study.’” Edwards v. Cal. Univ. of Pa., 156 F.3d 488, 492 (3d Cir. 1998) (quoting Regents of Univ. of Cal. v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265, 312 (1978)). Based on this analysis, we have previously determined that a teacher’s inclass conduct includes choosing one’s own teaching methods, id. at 491-92, utilizing one’s own “classroom management technique,” Bradley, 910 F.2d at 1176, and assigning grades to a student, Brown, 247 F.3d at 75. In the case before us, Borden concedes that the silent acts of bowing his head and taking a knee are tools that he uses to teach his players respect and good moral character. Thus, by his own admission, his coaching methods are pedagogic. As a 35 result, he is acting as a proxy for the School District, and the School District may choose both how its students are taught and what its students are taught. Here, the School District adopted Pachman’s guidelines because it determined that Borden’s pedagogic methods were inappropriate. As evidenced by this continued litigation, the School District continues to find Borden’s pedagogic methods of teaching his players respect by engaging in his silent acts inappropriate. While Borden certainly has the right to voice his disagreement with the School District’s policy, in accord with our past precedent, he does not have a right to act in contravention of the School District’s policy based upon a right to academic freedom.14 For the above reasons, the District Court erred in holding that the guidelines and the Board’s statement violated Borden’s right to academic freedom. 14 Borden alleges that a decision that he does not have the academic freedom to engage in these acts amounts to controlling his mind. However, our precedent has consistently demonstrated that it is the educational institution that has a right to academic freedom, not the individual teacher. See, e.g., Brown v. Armenti, 247 F.3d 69, 75 (3d Cir. 2001). The teacher, in turn, has the right to speak on matters of public concern, including advocating certain pedagogic methods. See Edwards v. Cal. Univ. of Pa., 156 F.3d 488, 491 (3d Cir. 1998) (“[A]lthough [a teacher] has a right to advocate outside of the classroom for the use of certain curriculum materials, he does not have a right to use those materials in the classroom.”). However, the teacher cannot act in contravention of his or her educational institution’s in-class policies in the name of academic freedom. 36