Overview
- Judicial Watch filed the case in U.S. District Court in Boston last week, naming Barnstable Public Schools as the sole defendant with no court response on file as of Thursday.
- The complaint says John Bergonzi resigned a 17-year tenured teaching job in Brockton after a contingent offer and started as associate principal on Oct. 7, 2024.
- He was placed on paid administrative leave on Nov. 20, 2024 after an anonymous “concerned colleague” flagged his Facebook activity and was terminated on Dec. 10.
- Filings state the seven posts, shared before he applied and focused largely on immigration, did not identify him as a district employee and caused no disruption at school.
- The suit alleges First Amendment retaliation and breach of contract, quotes the superintendent as saying the posts did not reflect district values, and seeks unspecified damages while the district declines comment.