The wheels on the bus continue to go round and round while the wheels of justice ground to a halt in the case of Brad McQueen, a dedicated teacher and staunch critic of Common Core. McQueen announced this week that he has opted to drop his lawsuit against the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) for retaliation.
ADE Chief of Staff Michael Bradley said today that Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas views McQueen to be a local hero for his strong advocacy for Arizona’s students and opposition to Common Core.
According to sources, between the recent upheaval inside the Goldwater Institute and fear inside the Attorney General’s office of the extent of the State’s liability, a settlement in the matter could not be reached. It was McQueen, who ultimately decided to drop the case. He notified friends on Facebook of his decision: “I was up for the fight, but in recent weeks it became apparent that my lawyers at the Goldwater Institute and I no longer shared a common goal with regards to my lawsuit and I began losing confidence in their ability to represent my best interests and the best interest of this lawsuit.”
McQueen, author of the popular book, The Cult of Common Core, was targeted by ADE staff for his vocal opposition to the federal standards and concerns about the testing associated with it. McQueen was part of a team of teachers, who According to Goldwater, for years, McQueen was paid to serve on several committees of teachers who advised the ADE on issues related to standardized testing.
According to the Goldwater Institute, when McQueen spoke out against the Common Core and its accompanying standardized test earlier in a newspaper article, he was removed from the committees (even those that had nothing to do with the Common Core), notes were made in his file at the department that could impact future employment opportunities, and he was disparaged in official department emails.
Emails, first obtained by the Arizona Daily Independent, between employees with the ADE revealed the retaliation
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“The First Amendment guarantees that all Americans have the right to speak out on important issues of the day without fear of being persecuted,” Kurt Altman, a senior attorney at the Goldwater Institute said at the time of the initial filing. “When you exercise your rights and find your livelihood and reputation are threatened, especially by the government, that sends a message to everyone around you to keep their mouths shut.”
The Goldwater Institute lawsuit claimed that McQueen’s First Amendment rights had been violated and sought to have him reinstated to the committees unrelated to the Common Core and to have his record cleared of information about his opposition to the Common Core.
McQueen has been a teacher for 11 years and currently teaches fifth grade in Tucson, Arizona.
Bradley said the Superintendent hopes to honor McQueen for his service to children and his brave stand against the Common Core standards in the near future.
The court dismissed the case with prejudice on August 19, 2015.
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