Student settles suit over Web site suspension

ARKANSAS — Valley View School District officials settled a federallawsuit in August filed by a student suspended for the content of his personalWeb site, but all parties involved have refused to release the detailsof the agreement. Justin Redman, a ninth-grader when he posted the site from his homecomputer May 7, was suspended for the last 10 days of the school year afterschool officials discovered the site, which contained sexually explicitpictures and remarks critical of the school’s administrators, staff andfour other students. The suspension caused Redman to miss all his finalexams, leading him to fail the ninth grade. The announcement of the settlement followed the second day of testimonyin U.S. District Judge George Howard’s courtroom. Howard had already issueda temporary restraining order against the school district, forcing themto allow the Jonesboro teen-ager to make up all his missed classwork andexams. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, which filed the suiton Redman’s behalf, released a statement after the settlement saying now”the educational process can continue.” Redman returned to school Aug. 21 as a 10th grader.