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[fiona]

Evidently there's some doubt about that.

My vivid opinions about Laodicean fishermen's pottery may seem noncontroversial, but what if the discussion goes public and gets heated? Will I be disciplined?

http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/judge-says-louisiana-state-u-cannot-discipline-scientist-for-speech-outside-work/37483

The Fiona

[southerntransplant]

As someone who has a decent amount of knowledge in this area, I personally think the guy's a bomb-throwing loon. The "private citizen" aspect is tricky, as any of the faculty who submit pseudonymous comments to our local paper criticizing upper echelon decisions can attest. But at least one comment on the story seems to confuse the issue of private citizen free speech with the more specific issue of the New Orleans levees, which is an unexploded hand grenade.

[gsawpenny]

Most anti-potites would demand your dismissal...and rightly so.

[jackofallchem]

It is an interesting question.  I know my University's official policy is 'no'.  It is clearly stated that we may be fired for any action that brings negative publicity or embarrassment to the University.  I have never thought it would hold up in court (could you be fired for bringing a sexual harassment suit against the University, it certainly would bring negative publicity and embarrassment), but I have never bothered to test it.  There have been several times I wanted to write a letter to the editor of the local paper, but didn't because the paper won't publish it without a confirmed name and address (which is published).