Pickering (1968):  This case dealt with a government employee’s speech in a public forum about an issue of public concern.  P (a public school teacher) wrote a letter to a newspaper that attacked the School Board’s funding policy for schools.  D (the School Board) fired P in response to his letter, claiming that numerous statements in his letter were false and impugned the “motives, honesty, integrity, truthfulness, responsibility and competence” of the both
the Board and the school administration, damaged the reputations of
Board members, disrupted faculty discipline, and fomented controversy.  Did the Board’s firing of P because of his speech of “public concern” violate P’s First Am. rights?