High School Teacher Punished for Informing Students of Their Fifth Amendment Right

(Source: Fox News)

Illinois high school teacher John Dryden has been reprimanded and docked a day's pay after informing his students of their Constitutional rights before administering a school-mandated survey about "at-risk behavior."

Dryden, a social studies teacher at Batvia High School in Batvia, Ill., reportedly told students that they had a Fifth Amendment right not to "incriminate" themselves in the questionnaire. The mandatory survey quizzed students about various at-risk behavior, including past drug, tobacco and alcohol use.

"I advised my students that they had a Fifth Amendment right not incriminate themselves," the teacher told the Kane County Chronicle. "It was not my intention for them not to take the survey."

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After meeting behind closed doors, the school board decided that what Dryden did was against school rules.

“The issue before the board was whether one employee had the right to mischaracterize the efforts of teachers, counselors, social workers and others and tell students in effect that the adults are not here to help but they are trying to get you to incriminate yourself," Batavia School Superintendent Jack Barshinger told Fox News.

Read Todd Starnes' full report here.