Bus company requests dismissal of lawsuit from former driver
The contractor is being sued by Ken Webber, who was fired for refusing to take a Confederate flag with the word "redneck" on it off of his pickup truck, which was parked in a lot owned by a school district that the contractor serves. The company says that Webber considered the flag to be an expression of his identity and lifestyle, and that therefore, his flag is not constitutionally protected speech because its message is not a matter of public concern.
MEDFORD, Ore. — A school bus company being sued by a driver who was fired for refusing to take off of his pickup truck a Confederate flag with the word "redneck" on it has asked for the case to be dismissed, The Associated Press reports.
First Student Inc. said that Ken Webber, who drove a bus carrying Phoenix-Talent School District #4 students, considered the flag to be an expression of his identity and lifestyle, and that therefore, his flag is not constitutionally protected speech because its message is not a matter of public concern. First Student also argued that as a private entity, it is not subject to First Amendment protections that might apply to the school district.
Phoenix-Talent School District #4 Superintendent Ben Bergreen had seen the flag on a visit to the district's bus lot and demanded that it be removed from school property, citing a policy prohibiting symbols that could be offensive to minorities.
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