I'm not sure where you're going with that. Are you saying that the teacher has more rights than the Ford employee, or less? I'm thinking there should be no difference.
Your comparison makes no sense. If I as a representative of a private company were to badmouth that company, I could expect to be fired. A teacher does not work for a company, a teacher works for you and I i.e., govt. employee... you don’t see the difference?
The public school system claims to be part of the federal government. It does not claim otherwise, and nobody else claims such a thing about the public school system, either.
Constitutional questions have to do with what the federal government is allowed to do and what it is not allowed to do. This is where you should start. (Your posts are wrong.)
The Principal is a GOVT employee. An agent of the GOVT, if you will.
That employee/agent is using his GOVT position to deny rights.
Rights of the teacher to speak, and rights of the public to know. The GOVT may not silence you.
Ford on the other hand is NOT GOVT, and is not much different than my home. Start speaking things I do not like in my home, I can and will silence you.
See the difference?
Teacher’s have a constitutional right to speak out on matters important to the public just like any other person.
There is specific federal case law on this point.