Tenafly, N.J., Teacher Files Suit over School Mail Policy.

Byline: Monsy Alvarado

Apr. 30--A Tenafly High School teacher has filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education, claiming his First Amendment rights were violated when a memo about contract negotiations distributed to faculty members was removed from their mailboxes.

Andrew Policastro filed the complaint in U.S. District Court in Newark, asking that the policy requiring administration permission to place items in the mailboxes be declared unconstitutional.

Policastro reasons that since fliers, gifts, and holiday and birthday cards are placed in mailboxes, there shouldn't be a restriction on any other mail.

"As long as personal messages are allowed, which they clearly are, then we do not need permission from the principal or administration to place items in mailboxes," said Policastro, who has taught physical science at the school for 10 years.

Policastro said that on March 13, 2002, a memo titled "Questions for the Tenafly Negotiations Team," which was signed by 13 teachers, was placed in the mailboxes. The memo was distributed because it was the day teachers were set to vote on a new contract.

The memo was later removed by, or under the authority of, Tenafly Principal Dora Kontogiannis, according to the complaint. Policastro said the memo was placed back in the mailboxes and removed again. Soon after, the mailroom was locked for the rest of ...