A Columbus Dispatch/SPLC collaborative investigation wins national recognition from the Association Press Managing Editors for shining a spotlight on the secretive campus disciplinary system and how sexual assaults systematically go underreported and result in lenient punishment.
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Rider tacked onto Wisconsin state budget would limit public access to searches for top university jobs
In a proposal slipped into the state budget that wasn't considered through the normal process for bills, Wisconsin legislators are proposing to repeal a requirement that makes public universities disclose the top five candidates for chancellor, president and other top positions. Instead, the public would be entitled only to the names of those "seriously considered," which might be just one name. Open-government advocates are decrying the maneuver as a step backward for public accountability.
Free-speech groups urge Kansas court to set boundaries for college punitive authority over students' off-campus social media speech
In a friend-of-the-court brief, First Amendment groups say a Kansas district court correctly ruled that the University of Kansas lacked authority to punish a student for violating a no-contact order on the basis of insulting tweets on a privacy-protected Twitter account.
Calif. students say principal forbade them from reporting popular debate coach's firing
Editors at a Pasadena-area high school say their principal ordered them to water down coverage of a popular teacher's removal, claiming it would invade the teacher's privacy. A local ACLU lawyer is asking the district to investigate whether the school censored not only the journalists, but also students who planned to protest the teacher's firing but were pressured to cancel the demonstration.
First Amendment protects students' right to distribute non-student-produced publications, Washington court rules
A federal court struck down as unconstitutional an Everett, Wash., school policy forbidding students from distributing literature they didn't create. The ruling was a partial victory for a high school senior who was disciplined for violating the ban by handing out religious literature promoting his faith.
Dorm mold story leads to adviser’s termination, student journalists allege
Fairmont State University’s newspaper adviser filed a grievance on Tuesday against the university in response to his dismissal in May, not long after The Columns student newspaper he advised published multiple articles critical of the university’s response to black mold on campus.
Supreme Court overturns man’s conviction for violent Facebook posts
The Court ruled in favor of Anthony Elonis, a Pennsylvania man who was convicted in 2010 under a federal threat-speech statute for violent language he used on Facebook to describe his wife, local elementary schools and an FBI agent.
U. of Memphis: Names of alumni implicated in hazing are confidential under FERPA
The University of Memphis banned Zeta Phi Beta sorority from campus for three years for code-of-conduct violations including hazing, physical abuse and “conduct dangerous to others.” University records obtained by the Daily Helmsman student newspaper indicate that alumni as well as current students participated in the abuse, which took place at the home of a former… Continue reading U. of Memphis: Names of alumni implicated in hazing are confidential under FERPA
May 2015 podcast: The history of successful high school activists
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Historian Dawson Barrett discusses his new book Teenage Rebels: Successful High School Activists from the Little Rock 9 to the Class of Tomorrow.Frank LoMonte: Hi everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Student Press Law Center’s monthly podcast. I’m Frank LoMonte, Executive Director of the Student Press Law Center. The SPLC is a nonprofit… Continue reading May 2015 podcast: The history of successful high school activists
Missouri officials claim FERPA to conceal state capitol interns’ identities
Interest in the identities of Missouri statehouse interns followed news that a state university was conducting a Title IX investigation after two students ended their Senate internships early. Interest increased after House Speaker John Diehl admitted to sexting a 19-year-old intern. He’s not speaker anymore.In response, Missouri legislative officials are citing the federal student privacy… Continue reading Missouri officials claim FERPA to conceal state capitol interns’ identities