Pickering

Pickering refers to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Pickering v. Board of Education (1968), which established the balance between a public employee’s right to free speech and the government’s interest in maintaining an efficient workplace. In this case, a high school teacher, Marvin Pickering, criticized the school board's spending in a letter to a newspaper. The Court ruled that public employees have the right to express opinions on matters of public concern without fear of retaliation, as long as their speech does not disrupt their employer's operations. This decision reinforced the importance of free speech in public employment.