This unfortunate situation really underlines the importance of tenured teaching positions, continuing contracts and unions that can protect the basic rights of public employees.

The positive reviews took a dramatic change for the worse, however, when Mr. Diss began to speak out in opposition to the building of a new Planned Parenthood facility in downtown Portland. Mr. Diss was involved in opposition activities on his own time, and did not bring his political or religious convictions into his instruction in the classroom. Nonetheless, he began to experience complaints about his political activities from school administrators, and his teaching came under sudden, rigorous scrutiny. Complaints, negative evaluations, letters of reprimand and formal meetings became a regular part of Mr. Dissâ life at school for as long as he engaged in outspoken, public opposition to Planned Parenthood. Wait a second... Shortly after the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year, presenters with the Teen Outreach Program (TOP) came to Mr. Dissâ tutorial classes to give a presentation recruiting students for the TOP program. When presenters entered the tutorial, Mr. Diss, consistent with District policy, asked for identification. He was handed a card that identified the presenters as employees of Planned Parenthood. This knowledge surprised Mr. Diss, and caused him serious emotional distress due to his well-known personal religious convictions and his years of work to oppose that organization.

This sounds like a possible tort claim. It's important that people who have suffered serious emotional distress be given access to our courts. But how would the school have known about his well-known personal convictions, given that Mr. Diss kept them separate from his place of employment? It's all very strange.

He expressed his dilemma to Benson Principal, Carol Campbell at the time and asked to be excused from being present for the presentation due to his religious convictions. His request was denied.

Do teachers get "personal time" to engage in acts of political protest during the school day? Do they have the freedom to not hear opinions that are not their own? I have not heard of that. Seems legit, though!

He was told that he would be required to be present for the TOP presentation. Through the remainder of the school year during which he taught, Mr. Diss continued to have to deal with Planned Parenthood staff as they administered the TOP program.

It must be very unpleasant to deal with people who strongly disagree with you on an issue as divisive as this one, loitering about your place of employment. If there's any silver lining here, it's the fact that Planned Parenthood's supporters do not have a long documented history of violence in pursuing their agenda. At least Mr. Diss was able to feel safe at his workplace, even though he was surrounded by people whom he disagrees with.

Simultaneous to his request not to be involved with TOP, Mr. Dissâ teaching came under renewed censorial review. Mr. Diss accepted the input from school administration, but the year proved to be extremely stressful, including numerous classroom observations and meetings with school administration. On March 19, 2013 school administrators summarily demanded that Mr. Diss leave the school premises and not returnâplacing him on paid administrative leave. Mr. Diss was told to leave the school and was escorted off the premises by a police officer. This unnecessary show of force is symbolic of the animus faced by Mr. Diss throughout the year.

It's really a shame that anyone would need to be escorted to or from their place of employment by armed police officers because they have an unpopular position on a divisive issue.