ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND THE LEGITIMATE PEDAGOGICAL CONCERN OF PRODUCING STUDENTS WHO ARE STRONG CRITICAL THINKERS

The majority and dissenting opinions in Boring v. Buncombe County Bd. of Educ., 136 F.3d 364, 366 (4th Cir. 1998), represent two important ways for modern courts to characterize the issue and analyze applicable law when considering issues related to a teacher’s academic freedom in an American public high school. Boring demonstrates the importance of characterization, such as an employment dispute or as a First Amendment free speech matter, when arguing academic freedom cases. School administrators and the courts should consider several important, relevant factors when faced with disputes involving academic freedom, and careful consideration of these factors should result in decisions that enable high school teachers to exercise academic freedom in order to produce students who are formidable critical thinkers