Is There Something Called Free Speech?

As I was contemplating what to write about for today, I was reading an article in the NY Times about a vice-principal at a Catholic school in Washington (the state) being canned after he married another man. There were nothing but supportive comments... mostly supporting the students who protested the action. In fact, much of the story was about the students' reaction to the firing and their support of the vice-principal.

But, buried in the story, was a mitigating factor; one seemingly  ignored by the students, the author, and the commenters. The vice-principal had signed an agreement to uphold the Church's teachings and the Church does not recognize, or support, same sex marriage.

The fallout has resulted in the resignations of some of those who sought the ouster of the vice-principal. Apparently, these people received some pressure to resign.

And that brings me to the subject of free speech. Certainly the students are exercising it, that's clear. But didn't the school authorities also exercise it? Is some free speech more important than others?

I thought (and have thought so for many years) that the reason our Constitution protects freedom of speech was because we need to hear and/or read all dissenting opinions. That is, freedom of speech is not just the right of the majority.

You see, cultures change. And, as a result, so do majority opinions. And one of the reasons that change comes about is because minority opinions are heard or read. If the majority opinion condones the suppression of minority opinion then does free speech still exist?