Protecting Everyone's Rights in Arkansas

The ACLU of Arkansas filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of former Russellville High School biology teacher Chance Duncan, alleging that the Russellville School District violated the First Amendment by firing him over a social media post he made as a private citizen on his personal Facebook account in response to the death of political activist Charlie Kirk. Duncan, an award-winning biology teacher with 18 years of experience, made the Facebook post after school hours using his personal device. Although he deleted the post the following morning and publicly apologized, the district suspended and later terminated him. The lawsuit argues that Duncan's post addressed a matter of public concern and was protected by the First Amendment. It alleges that the district unlawfully retaliated against him for exercising his constitutional right to free speech. The complaint asks the court to declare the district's actions unconstitutional, order Duncan's reinstatement, and award attorney's fees and other appropriate relief.