The Florida Education Association (FEA) welcomes a recent ruling by the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH), which reaffirms Florida educators’ rights to due process and free speech.
In 2025, the Martin County School Board imposed a suspension without pay and a termination recommendation for a veteran educator and then president of the Martin County Education Association Matt Theobald for comments made outside the classroom on a private social media page. The DOAH found in favor of Theobald, ruling that the Martin County School Board must rescind the suspension and termination of Theobald, and additionally award him back pay and benefits.
“This victory is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we stand together in our unions and advocate for our rights,” said Andrew Spar, President of the Florida Education Association. “Our unions, led by educators for educators, safeguard the rights of every teacher across Florida, ensuring due process for all. Rather than targeting educators’ voices or fueling political agendas, our leaders must focus on uniting communities and strengthening public schools for our students and families.”
“Our communities deserve schools where every child can learn free from fear, and where educators are respected as professionals and citizens,” said Kelly Coleman, President of the Martin County Education Association (MCEA). “Our union’s strength comes from members raising their voices together, and we will always fight for their right to due process. This ruling, along with MCEA’s recent victory over out-of-state, for-profit and anti-worker groups in the recertification election, proves that Martin County educators stand firmly behind their union. MCEA has always, and will always, defend student safety and protect the professional dignity and constitutional rights of educators.”
“I’m thrilled that an independent third party agreed with what I, my union and my fellow educators have said all along, which is that my comments made in a private setting had no impact on student learning and that the board lacked just cause in their pursuit of my termination,” said Matt Theobald, educator and former President of the Martin County Education Association. “This wasn’t just a fight to save a career or for free speech. This was about standing up for due process and making sure that what happened to me doesn’t happen to any other teacher in this district or any other district in the state. Teachers deserve a voice in the workplace, and when our voices are heard, our students benefit through improved learning conditions.
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CONTACT: FEA Press, feapress@floridaea.org, (850) 201-3223
The Florida Education Association is the state’s largest association of professional employees, with 120,000 members. FEA represents PreK-12 teachers, higher education faculty, educational staff professionals, students at our colleges and universities preparing to become teachers and retired education employees.
