Philly teacher off the hook with Ethics Board

June turned out to be a pretty good month for George Bezanis.

Chances are you don't know the name of the Central High School social studies teacher, even if you've seen his high-profile stunts that drew attention to the long-lingering contract negotiations between his union and the Philadelphia School District.

First, there was the billboard along I-95 in March: "Welcome to Philadelphia, where we don't value our public school children."

Then came the banner plane flying high above the NFL Draft Experience on April 27 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway: "City Hall ❤ [loves] Sports But Hates Our Teachers."

All that drew the attention of the Philadelphia Board of Ethics, which in May claimed that Bezanis had strayed into the world of lobbying and had to register with the city.

That would've cost Bezanis $200 per year. And he would have been required to detail exactly how he raised the $8,755 for the billboard and banner plane.

Failure to do so could have cost Bezanis $250 in fines per day, up to a cap of $2,000. The Board of Ethics has fined organizations that much twice since November for unregistered lobbying.

Last month, I called this the gadfly vs. Goliath.

But then Bezanis, who had vowed to fight this out in court, had a run of good luck.

First, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers on June 19 approved a new three-year contract after a four-year fight with the School District.

Then the Board of Ethics sent a June 29 letter to Bezanis' lawyer, Claiborne Newlin, saying it had concluded its inquiry about the teacher. "We have closed the matter and will take no further action," the letter read.

Bezanis, who previously called the board's action an act of "intimidation" that infringed on his First Amendment right to free speech, declared victory.

Shane Creamer, executive director of the Board of Ethics, can't comment on communications the agency has with individuals on matters such as lobbyist registration until the board issues a settlement agreement. One appears to not be coming in this case.

Creamer has noted that all 50 states, the federal government, and many large cities have laws regulating lobbying. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling that set the precedent that lobbying laws don't violate First Amendment rights is now more than six decades old.

Newlin was planning to argue that the teacher's stunts were covered by more than one exception in the city's lobbying law — that he didn't personally profit from the billboard or banner plane messages and that he held a personal stake in the outcome of the contract negotiations he was trying to influence.

That's not a fight Bezanis has to have. For now.

I asked Bezanis if he has any new projects to draw attention on his blackboard. This was his answer:

"Everything is on the back burner. But the new contract is set to expire in 2020.…"