Teachers Union Opposes Proposed Protest Buffer Law

The union that represents public school teachers in Baltimore County said it opposes a proposed law banning protests outside schools in the county.

"I don't see any need for this particular bill," said Abby Beytin, president of the Teachers Association of Baltimore County.

Councilman Todd Huff proposed the bill two weeks ago. If passed, the bill would prohibit any protests one hour before or after school and require protesters to stay at least 300-feet away from a school.

Violators would be subject to a fine of $1,000 or up to a 90-day jail sentence or possibly both.

Huff said he introduced the bill to protect school children. County police and school officials said protests are uncommon and are generally peaceful.

"For us, it's a non issue," Beytin said. "No one has complained about [protests]."

The handful of protests outside the schools in the last few years, mostly related to anti-abortion groups, have "no distracted students or teachers or the instructional day."

Beytin said the biggest issue for the union was the restriction of First Amendment rights.

"We ought to be thinking long and hard before we take any rights from anyone," Beytin said.

The law would also affect teachers who wish to protest working conditions. Most commonly, those protests take the form of so-called work-to-rule protests where teachers gather outside the school and hold signs before entering the school at the beginning of their contractual school day.

Beytin said the restrictions are tougher than state laws governing electioneering outside polling places.

"We'd have to go down the road to be 300-feet away," Beytin said.

The teacher's union is the latest group to oppose the bill.

Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, called the bill "flagrantly unconstitutional and frankly offensive."

Huff as never said why he introduced the bill but it could be aimed at a small group of anti-abortion protesters who stand outside high schools about six times a year. Police say the protesters do not break the law and there have been no incidents.

"As much as we might not agree with the sentiment of any particular protester, we will fight to the death for their right to say it as long as they're behaving in a legal way," Beytin said.

"In a democracy, we don't say will let anyone protest as long as we agree with what they're saying," Beytin said.

A hearing on the bill is scheduled for April 9. A final vote is scheduled for April 15.