WEAC Statement on Dismissal of Melissa Tempel’s Federal Lawsuit

A federal judge has dismissed a First Amendment lawsuit filed by former Waukesha first-grade teacher Melissa Tempel. The following statement can be attributed to Peggy Wirtz-Olsen, teacher and president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council.

“After 23 years of teaching, Melissa Tempel was terminated from her job at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha for advocating against excluding the Miley Cirus–Dolly Parton song ‘Rainbowland’ from her first-grade students’ choral concert. She was fired for tweeting, ‘My first graders were so excited to sing Rainbowland for our spring concert but it has been vetoed by our administration. When will it end?’

“Indeed, when will it end? Tempel is another casualty in our country’s toxic culture wars. She used her personal, private social media account to articulate an emotion that she and many others were experiencing. She did not use social media in any capacity related to her work for the school district. She was fired because the administration and school board thought it was easier to fire her than to have adult conversations with community members who reject the pluralistic nature of the society we live in.

“These administrative actions have a chilling effect on staff in schools throughout the state. When educators are forced to choose between presenting the world as it truly is and their job security, it is the students who lose the most.

“This federal judge’s action does nothing to validate or justify the district’s actions against Melissa Tempel. Whether or not it is legal to fire Tempel in the way they did for the reasons they did, it is morally and educationally wrong. As leaders, they need to reevaluate the use of the so-called ‘controversial issues policy.’ Instead of trying to stamp out conversations on topics that might be deemed ‘controversial,’ the district can instead send a clear about the importance of a well-rounded education grounded in reality, honesty, open-mindedness and kindness.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.