In thewake of uproar from free speech advocates last month, an Eastern Kansas schooldistrict has stricken the parts of a policy proposal that would have prohibitedyearbook and newspaper dedications to deceased students.
Author: Nicole Hill
Supreme Court shows interest in case of student disciplined for off-campus MySpace group
The Supreme Court appears to be showing initial interest in Kowalski v. Berkeley County Schools, one of a slew of off-campus speech cases awaiting its consideration.The court requested a response Monday from the West Virginia school district to the certiorari petition filed on behalf of Kara Kowalski, the court docket shows.Kowalski, a former Musselman High School student, was suspended in 2005 for creating a MySpace group that school officials claimed was intended to ridicule another student.The title of the webpage was “S.A.S.H.,” which Kowalski said was an acronym for “Students Against Sluts Herpes.” But posts by other students on the page quickly devolved into disparaging comments about a specific classmate.The 4th U.S.
Wash. appeals court to hear Puyallup student newspaper case
Fouryears after students at a Washington high school sued their school district forinvasion of privacy over a student newspaper story, an appeals court is set tohear their case in January.
Three years later, 'Julius RIP' T-shirt case headed to trial
Thetwo-year legal saga stemming from a Nebraska high school’s actions to curb whatit claimed was “gang-related” speech will proceed to the courtroom after ajudge denied the school district’s motion for dismissal Tuesday.
Judge sides with Calif. school that told students to take off American flag shirts
ThreeCalifornia high school students who donned American flag T-shirts for Cinco deMayo presented a possible “substantial disruption,” and school officials werewithin their authority to ask them to remove the shirts, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Editor: Hundreds of newspapers stolen at Texas A&M-Kingsville
Littlemore than a year after a similar incident on its sister campus, the staff of The South Texan at Texas A&M atKingsville is reeling from the theft of nearly 400 newspapers.
UPDATED: Seattle school board pulls controversial publications proposal, will revisit in 2012
After much media attention and protests from students, advisers and free speech advocates, the Seattle Public School District hasdecided to withdraw the freedom of expression proposal introduced at lastweek’s school board meeting.
As “douchebags” case ends, Supreme Court continues to mull off-campus speech rights
It’s the end of the road for Doninger v. Niehoff.The Supreme Court denied Monday the certiorari petition filed by Avery Doninger’s attorneys, effectively ending three years of legal wrangling in a period that saw the rise of a host of off-campus, online student expression court cases.Attorney Jon Schoenhorn called the news a “disappointing end” to the case but even more concerning for the larger precedent.“My biggest concern is that it’s going to chill the free expression of thousands of students because of an erroneous reading of it by school officials,” Schoenhorn said.As a junior at Connecticut’s Lewis B.
La. student sues after being punished for Facebook status
Followinga spate of recent federal court cases involving off-campus speech, a Louisianastudent is suing his high school after he was suspended and removed from anhonors society for a comment he made on Facebook about a teacher.
Judge backs school's ban of 'Islam is of the Devil' shirts
A Florida school board’s dress code did not violate students’ rights by barring them from wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “Islam is of the Devil” on school grounds, a federal judge ruled Sept. 30, labeling the shirts a “disruption.”