Teacher files lawsuit after dismissal over conservative Facebook posts after a Massachusetts school district allegedly terminated an associate principal for political opinions he shared online before being hired, according to a new federal lawsuit.
A conservative watchdog group has taken legal action against Barnstable Public Schools, claiming the district violated the First Amendment rights of John Bergonzi, a longtime educator who was dismissed over old Facebook posts expressing conservative viewpoints. The lawsuit argues that the school system unlawfully retaliated against Bergonzi for protected political speech that predated his employment.
Judicial Watch filed the complaint on Bergonzi’s behalf in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on January 8, later making the case public on January 12. The suit accuses the district of unconstitutional retaliation, breach of an at-will employment agreement, and promissory estoppel—asserting that Bergonzi relied on assurances that his prior social media activity would not jeopardize his job.
Bergonzi had spent 17 years teaching science in Brockton Public Schools before being offered an associate principal role at Barnstable High School in Hyannis in September 2024. According to the lawsuit, the district informed candidates during interviews that employment offers would only follow a review of their social media accounts. Bergonzi’s profiles were reviewed, and no objections were raised at the time.
He began working in early October 2024. Roughly a month later, Bergonzi was summoned to a meeting with the school principal and a human resources official, where he was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into Facebook “memes and posts,” the complaint states. He later learned the inquiry stemmed from an anonymous email sent by someone described only as a “concerned colleague.”
During a December 3, 2024 meeting, district officials showed Bergonzi several posts that had drawn scrutiny. The content included memes and comments related to illegal immigration and public policy debates, with the most recent post dated April 2024—months before he joined the district.
Despite acknowledging that Bergonzi’s Facebook page did not identify him as a Barnstable Public Schools employee and that the posts had caused no disruption within the school community, officials later informed him that his online activity did not align with the district’s “values.” He was terminated later that month.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and financial compensation for lost wages and benefits. It also claims Bergonzi has struggled to find comparable employment and now faces long-term damage to his professional prospects as a result of the dismissal.
The case adds to a growing national debate over the limits of free speech for educators and the extent to which employers can penalize workers for political expression made outside the workplace and before employment even begins.
