[pdonis]

There's more to it than just whether the teacher was right or wrong, though. Let's suppose that he was wrong, that there is no 5th Amendment issue (the school board gave some reasons why that would be true, which are described in the article). Even so, why reprimand the teacher? Why not just release a statement saying that the teacher was incorrect in saying that there is a 5th Amendment issue involved (giving the reasons why), and leave it at that? Then the teacher could discuss that with his class; was he right or wrong? The students could actually debate the question and learn something--they might even learn the lesson the teacher was really trying to teach, which is, never take any authority's word without question--always consider the possibility that they might be wrong.

Instead, the school board is teaching the students a very different lesson: that our society is run, not by reasoned debate, but by arbitrary exercises of power.

[rayiner]

I don't disagree with your point or agree with the school board's actions. This story contains two things that drive me nuts: 1) teachers talking out of their ass; 2) school administrators being petty assholes.