Freedom of speech

[burkes]

I recently graduated from nursing school. One week before graduation, with an 88% in the class and a 3.4 gpa, I was told that I was failing the class due to some "missing" clinical paperwork. I went to the teacher herself, the director and then finally, the dean of the college and in lieu of a big, ugly battle I agreed to redo whatever clinical time the instructor felt I needed to do so long as it was within the timeframe between that time and the day I started my new job. The instructor came up with 144 clinical hours and 8 documents (15 pages each), 15 (1 page) journal entries, and daily report sheets. This equals out to 60 more hours than were required for the entire semester and 4 more clinical documents than were required for the entire 2 years of the program. I fullfilled the requirements, however, a week into the clinical time, I was called into the office and told they were one more "stunt" away from "pulling the plug" on the entire agreement. They had a list of complaints about my attitude that "I seem like I just want to put my time in and leave." In addition, they mentioned negative commentary I had been making about the school, the agreement, and the teacher. Some of the commentary was made prior to the entire situation. I was made to sign a contract that among other things, stated that I would not make any derogtory comments about the school or its instructors. I was suspended for two days to "think about my attitude" and told to watch what I say, because "it always gets back to us." Isn't this a violation of my freedom of speech?

 

[NYClex]

What you got to understand is that "Freedom of Speech" first and foremost is a protection against the government. A private person or entity does not necessarily need to tolerate your viewpoints. Example:

You visit my home and start right away criticizing the color of my furniture. Then you make remarks about how my cooking is inedible and finally you try to recruit me to vote for a mayoral candidate who I think better belongs in jail. I finally throw you out of my home.

There is no law prohibiting me throwing you out. Freedom of speech only protects you from the government, so I cannot call the cops and have you arrested because you support this idiot for mayor and don't like my pasta.

So if that school has a certain code of conduct and you violated it, they might have the right to do the same and kick you out. It depends on your contract and the code of conduct.