I agree with David Miller that it is outrageous that the Evergreen school district had to pay $400,000 to a former teacher for wearing a MAGA hat to a training session, but not for the reason Mr. Miller suggests (“Settlement with teacher outrageous,” Our Readers’ Views, Aug. 5).
It is outrageous that Evergreen (or its former agent, behind whom it is hiding in its denial of culpability) violated the First Amendment rights of the teacher. Remember, if the First Amendment means anything, it means the right to say things other people don’t like hearing. The solution to hearing speech you don’t like is reasoned argument against that speech, not forbidding it. “Shut up” or “I’m offended” is not a valid argument.
