Intimate Associations and Public Employment

Sexharass FirehelmetIn the past, I have written about my belief that public employees’ rights to sexual privacy should enjoy the same protection afforded First Amendment rights to speech and religion.

So far, courts have been unreceptive to my claims that post-Lawrence v. Texas, the right to sexual privacy represents a heightened constitutional right which should lead only to employer interference with that right if the employer has a legitimate and substantial justification for so doing.  The most recent example of courts’ lack of receptivity to this argument comes from the Eleventh Circuit yesterday. 

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April 12: The Voices of MPS Leadership Experience

Who knows better the challenges and problems of heading up the Milwaukee Public Schools system than the people who have done it previously? 

While former MPS superintendents have generally adhered to a policy of not speaking up on what their successors ought to do, four people who have held the top post in the system will appear together at Marquette University Law School on Monday, April 12, to share their thoughts.

The four are Robert Peterkin, superintendent from 1988 to 1991 and a professor at Harvard since then; Howard Fuller, superintendent from 1991 to 1995 and head of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette since then; Barbara Horton, acting superintendent in 1999 and now head of a charter school in Milwaukee; and Spence Korte, superintendent from 1999 to 2002, now retired.

Peterkin has headed Harvard’s program to train urban superintendents in recent years and has rarely spoken publicly about Milwaukee issues. While Fuller has been one of the nation’s most prominent voices for school choice programs, he has been cautious about speaking about MPS. Korte has also generally avoided the spotlight since retiring from MPS. Horton has the unusual distinction of having also been a member of the Milwaukee School Board for five years.

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2010 Jenkins Competition Finals April 6

This is a week of great competition:  the NCAA finals, the Brewers home opener, and the final round of the 2010 Jenkins Honors Moot Court Competition.  Please congratulate the following teams who have advanced to the final round:

Gabe Johnson-Karp and Alexandra Grimley

Ashley Roth and Emily Lonergan

These two teams are going for a rematch in the final round. 

 All members of the Law School community are invited to attend the final round, which will take place on Tuesday, April 6 at 6:00 p.m. at the Federal Courthouse, with a reception immediately following at the Milwaukee Club.

 To attend the final round, please email Carol Dufek at carol.dufek@marquette.edu.

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