PATERSON, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey appellate panel has upheld the decision to fire a tenured first-grade teacher who wrote that she was a "warden for future criminals" in a Facebook posting.
Jennifer O'Brien, who taught in Paterson, posted her remark to 333 friends on March 28, 2011. But it was forwarded and several parents saw it, igniting a firestorm of criticism and national media attention.
O'Brien, who had taught in the district since 1998, appealed her May 5, 2011 suspension.
New Jersey's Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf upheld an administrative law judge's dismissal of O'Brien, and she appealed for reinstatement.
The Record of Woodland Park reports that a two-judge panel ruled Friday that O'Brien's conduct wasn't protected by the First Amendment.
O'Brien's attorney tells the newspaper they disagreed with Friday's ruling.
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Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.), http://www.northjersey.com
