Zahn v. Prior Lake-Savage School District
Case Attorneys: Nicholas Nelson and Austin Lysy
How far can a public school district go in policing what a teacher says outside of work?
That question sits at the center of this case. Brooke Zahn, a teacher in the Prior Lake-Savage district, was suspended without pay after expressing her personal political views on a private Facebook account. She did not make the comments in the classroom. She did not direct them at students. And according to the lawsuit, the district did not discipline her because her teaching suffered or because school operations were disrupted.
Instead, UMLC alleges the district acted because outside critics objected to her views.
This lawsuit challenges that decision as a violation of the First Amendment. Public employees do not lose their constitutional rights when they leave work, and the government cannot punish lawful speech simply because it is unpopular or politically controversial. When a school district disciplines a teacher for expressing personal views on her own time, it raises serious constitutional concerns about retaliation and viewpoint discrimination.
What’s at Stake
This case is about more than one teacher and one Facebook post. It asks whether public employers can silence employees for expressing personal political opinions outside the workplace — or whether the Constitution still protects speech that others would rather not hear.
What UMLC Is Asking the Court to Do
Through this lawsuit, UMLC asks the court to:
- Declare that Ms. Zahn’s constitutional rights were violated
- Award damages for lost wages and emotional distress
- Order the district to remove the disciplinary action from her record
At its core, this case is about a basic constitutional principle: the government cannot punish citizens for protected political speech simply because it generates controversy.