Sacramento teacher who attended Jan. 6 rally sues school district, alleging wrongful termination

A former teacher is suing the Sacramento City Unified School District alleging the district fired him because he attended the rally that preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Dustin Watson, a physical education teacher at New Technology High School, acknowledges in the lawsuit that he attended the rally for supporters of former President Donald Trump.

He posted messages on Facebook that “described the events taking place as they were unfolding but he did not anticipate the events to take a violent turn,” read the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of California on Monday.

The lawsuit states that Watson left the area when the disruption began and did not enter the Capitol. Watson did not face charges in the incident and was not arrested.

Later, Watson was investigated by the FBI and was “relieved of any suspicion of domestic terrorism,” the lawsuit reads.

Watson is seeking relief and damages for loss of pay and denial of employment benefits. He was in the process of completing his teaching credential, and was unable to receive it since he was terminated. It’s unclear whether Watson is currently employed at another school.

Sacramento City Unified officials confirmed that a district employee was placed on administrative leave in January 2021 while their participation in the rally were being investigated by the district.

“This employee was probationary and was non-reelected in March 2021,” read a statement from the district. “As such, the employee is no longer employed by Sacramento City Unified School District.”

Shawn Sasooness, managing partner at the firm representing Watson, said he has seen several cases similar to Watson’s in California, but this is unique: Watson works for a public school district and his First Amendment rights were violated.

“You see employees at rallies and events, and employers notice they are there,” Sasooness of SW Employment Law Group said. “All of a sudden their hours are reduced or they are retaliated against. It’s not incredibly common, but it’s a lot more common in the past few years.”

Sasooness said it’s unclear why a teacher with no write-ups was terminated.

“There is a shortage of teachers and a shortage of people in the school district,“ Sasooness said. “This is a teacher who had great reviews and everybody liked him.”

The lawsuit claims Watson’s constitutional rights were violated, as he used Facebook to express his First Amendment rights. Watson did not mention Sacramento City Unified or his school in his Facebook post.

In a statement to The Sacramento Bee, the district stated they had not received the referenced complaint.

This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 9:30 AM.