Townhall
Teacher Punished for Telling Students About Constitutional Rights
By Todd Starnes
May 30, 2013 

An Illinois high school teacher was punished by a local school district after he warned students about their Constitutional rights before answering a school-mandated survey about emotional and at-risk behavior. 

John Dryden, a social studies teacher at Batavia High School, was issued a formal reprimand and docked a day’s pay. The punishment was doled out during a closed-door school board meeting. 

The controversy started when the school district directed students to complete a survey about at-risk behavior – including past drug, tobacco and alcohol usage. 

“I advised my students that they had a Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves,” Dryden told a local newspaper. “It was not my intention for them not to take the survey.” 

Batavia School Superintendent Jack Barshinger told Fox News what the teacher did was against the rules. 

“The issue before the board was whether one employee had the right to mischaracterize the efforts of teachers, counselors, social workers and others and tell students in effect that the adults are not here to help but they are trying to get you to incriminate yourself,” he said. 

But Dryden said several questions on the 34-page survey asked students to self-report what could potentially be criminal behavior… 

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