Milwaukee School System Defeats Fired Worker’s Free Speech Claim

The Milwaukee public school system won dismissal of a grade school counselor’s claim that her First Amendment rights were violated when she was fired over a speech she gave against transgender rights.

Marissa Darlingh’s speech wasn’t constitutionally protected because her interest in expressing her opinions was outweighed by the state’s interests as an employer in promoting effective and efficient public service, Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin said Monday.

The school fired Darlingh after finding that a speech she delivered at a rally in Madison, Wis., in April 2022 violated ...