TIFTON, GA (WALB) - A Tift County teacher plans to take her case against the Tift County school system all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
The teacher had been suspended after the school received complaints about a post on her personal Facebook page. Her appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court was denied on Monday.
"It is indeed a First Amendment rights case. That's what it's all about," said Craig Webster, Tucker's attorney.
Kelly Tucker, a teacher in the Tift County School System, filed a lawsuit against the Tift County School System after she had been suspended for a post on her personal Facebook page.
According to a statement from the school system, they suspended Tucker after receiving complaints from parents and citizens. Tucker took her case to the Georgia Supreme Court where the Court denied her appeal.
"It's an enormously important case because what it involves is the employer's right to make an employee not say things when they're off work that they don't like," said Webster.
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled school and government officials can't be sued, but three justices did write their own opinion about the case.
"They said we agree that government officials are immune, they can't be prosecuted, but we do want a right to say we do think they violated her First Amendment rights," Webster said.
This is what led Craig Webster and his client to decide to take the case to the United States Supreme Court.
"This means that either the law wasn't clear and so we feel like maybe the Supreme Court should look at it and say yes this is what the law is going to be from now on, or if, and we of course feel this is the situation, or the Supreme Court may look at it and say no we think the law was clear and we think this needs to be cleared up," said Webster.
Webster says he and his client are willing to fight for this case and what he believes is his client's right to free speech.
"Our country stands alone from other countries in the world for one reason and that's because we enjoy freedoms in this country that no one else in the world enjoys," Webster said.
He says he just hopes for one thing, even if the case isn't heard before the Supreme Court.
"I hope that out of this case if nothing else that people gain a respect for each other's rights to speak their opinions whether we agree with them or not," said Webster.
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