Bergen Community College: Professor Sanctioned for Photo of Daughter in 'Game of Thrones' Shirt
Cases
Bergen Community College
Case Overview
On January 12, 2014, Francis Schmidt, an art professor at New Jersey鈥檚 Bergen Community College, posted a picture on Google+ of his daughter wearing a T-shirt with a quote from 鈥淕ame of Thrones.鈥 When the picture was posted, Google+ sent an automatic email to Schmidt鈥檚 contacts, including a dean at BCC. BCC administrators told Schmidt that the email was threatening and placed him on leave without pay until a psychiatrist attested to his mental fitness. Upon reinstating Schmidt, BCC placed an official warning in his file and threatened him with 鈥渟uspension and/or termination鈥 if he made 鈥渄isparaging鈥 remarks about the college or acted in any way that BCC considered 鈥渦nbecoming.鈥 FIREconnected Schmidt with legal network member Derek Shaffer, and Gabriel Soledad, of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, who put pressure on BCC. On September 29, BCC admitted that it 鈥渕ay have unintentionally erred and potentially violated鈥 Schmidt鈥檚 constitutional rights. BCC then removed all adverse records in connection with the situation from Schmidt鈥檚 file and assured Schmidt that the incident would not impact future employment or disciplinary proceedings.