West Virginia Prevails Over Fired Teacher’s Free Speech Claims

A former West Virginia teacher who was fired after posting multiple anti-Muslim tweets had her attempt to challenge the state’s investigation into her conduct dismissed by a federal district court.

Mary Durstein failed to show that the state’s investigation, which could have revoked her professional certifications, had a substantial chilling effect on teachers’ right to free speech. The state’s law for revoking or suspending a teaching certificate didn’t specifically target freedom of expression, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia said.

The county’s schools superintendent suspended Durstein, a former world studies teacher at Huntington High School, ...