The Ivory Tower Under Siege: A Constitutional Basis for Academic Freedom

46 Pages Posted: 29 Dec 2008 Last revised: 26 Dec 2010

See all articles by Matthew Reid Krell

Matthew Reid Krell

Washburn University - Washburn University School of Law

Date Written: December 27, 2008

Abstract

In Garcetti v. Ceballos, the Supreme Court held that public employees who speak within the scope of their jobs are not protected by the Pickering balancing test. The Court reserved the issue of whether academics, who may make controversial speech within the course of their academic work and suffer retaliation, are subject to the Garcetti rule. This paper outlines the current thinking of how the various academic freedom claims within the First Amendment play out, and then offers a new way to resolve such a case. Essentially, the university is seeking authority to breach the employment agreement because the professor was in compliance with the employment agreement. Judicial sanction of such an action eviscerates contract.

Keywords: academic freedom, First Amendment, Contract Clause, public-employee speech, Garcetti, Pickering

Suggested Citation

Krell, Matthew Reid, The Ivory Tower Under Siege: A Constitutional Basis for Academic Freedom (December 27, 2008). George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal (CRLJ), Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1321125

Matthew Reid Krell (Contact Author)

Washburn University - Washburn University School of Law ( email )

1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621
United States

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