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HOUSTON - After issuing a misguided gag order on employees prohibiting them from criticizing a school or Houston Independent School District on social media, Superintendent Mike Miles has backed off.
On Tuesday, The American Federation of Teachers, HFT, and Texas AFT said they were considering filing a lawsuit against Miles, alleging him of violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments by gagging educators.
Miles backed off the order following the announcement of possible legal action.
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"This is a big win for the rights of teachers. Their right to speak out on issues affecting them and their students should never have been revoked. By backing off this outrageous policy, Miles hopefully has learned a very important lesson that he should carry for the rest of his tenure—stick to what’s legal and what will actually help teachers and students do the best they can," said Houston Federation of Teachers President Jackie Anderson.
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The police introduced by Miles instructed employees not to use social media or any communication platform to share considerably damaging information about an HISD school or the district’s reputation or info that could undermine its high-performance culture.
AFT President Randi Weingarten allegedly called the policy "dangerous overreach" and compared it to McCarthy-era tactics. HFT’s Anderson said the policy "adds to the long list of absurd changes and actions" that have nothing to do with improving student performance.
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo said Miles’ changes would harm, not help, students and teachers.