W.Va. Teacher Who Was Fired Over Social Media Posts Suing School Officials
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - A high school teacher in West Virginia is suing over her firing in 2017 for a series of social media posts that ridiculed black people, Muslims and former President Barack Obama.
According to The Herald-Dispatch, ex-Huntington High School teacher Mary Durstein sued former Cabell County Schools Assistant Superintendent Todd Alexander, Cabell County's school board, and state schools superintendent Steven Paine in U.S. District Court this week in southern West Virginia.
The lawsuit claims Alexander violated Durstein's First Amendment rights by ordering her to deactivate her personal Twitter account that she used on personal time from a personal device.
It also claims Alexander ordered Durstein not to speak to the media when the story broke.
The suit seeks $400,000 from Alexander, who didn't respond to a request for comment this week.
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