Payne v Highline School District

Our children's civil rights have been violated in Highline School District (HSD), creating a hostile learning environment by displaying divisive, inappropriate, district-sanctioned political propaganda throughout the schools. Highline School District must be held accountable for its outrageous, illegal politicking inside the public schools.

We are suing HSD for illegally depriving students of their FIRST and FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT rights under the US Constitution and need help with pending legal fees. Specifically, we cite a 2006 SCOTUS decision titled "Garcetti v. Ceballos," where Justice Kennedy wrote:

"When public employees make statements pursuant to their official duties, the employees are not speaking as citizens for First Amendment purposes, and the Constitution does not insulate their communications from employer discipline."

Propaganda posters displayed by HSD are in fact, personal political statements, displayed by teachers within the public schools pursuant to the teacher's/administration's official duties, and thus deserve no Constitutional insulation from discipline. Therefore, HSD must follow this SCOTUS precedent.

But because HSD failed to discipline the teachers and administrators who displayed political propaganda in our public buildings, it is now our job to do so. They will fight back and have retained attornies to do so, as we are striking at the core of their ideology and intent to indoctrinate the unwitting children attending their schools. With malice toward none (including those depicted in the propaganda), this effort seeks to de-politicize our schools so they can better focus on what matters, academic preparation for our kid's future.

We all must win this important case so we can repudiate the awful ideas proliferating Highline School District and elsewhere, showing the way for others to hold their school districts accountable for upholding and maintaining everyone's civil rights. Your assistance here is much appreciated.

James & Gina Payne, MPA/MBA

Parents of two at N. Hill Elementary