In July statement was in response to the actions of officials at Kansas State University in removing the student newspaper adviser based on the content decisions made by student editors. The SPLC has grave concerns about the legal arguments KSU officials are making about free press protections for students at the university. Those arguments are, quite simply, unprecedented, dangerous and offensive to the First Amendment.
Tag: Fall 2004
Minn. court dismisses professor's libel suit
A state court debunked a common excuse for administrative censorship, ruling that a public university cannot be held liable for an article in a student newspaper because it does not have editorial control over the publication.
Off the mark
Reading through Ron Johnson's last evaluation as adviser to the Kansas State Collegian there is no mention of him as a "bad adviser."
Instead, Johnson is praised by administrators for his service to student and professional media organizations.
Court throws out Pa. alcohol ad ban
In a ruling five years in the making, a federal appeals court ruled in July that a state law banning paid alcohol advertisements in student media was a violation of the First Amendment.The landmark ruling paves the way for other student media outside of Pennsylvania to fight similar laws or restrictions.
Police apologize for deleting students' photos
Although Paul Gleason and Kyle Smealie were only in high school at the time, they knew they had rights like any other journalist.So when a Fairfax County police officer confiscated their digital camera and deleted photos from it, they knew their rights were being violated and demanded an apology from the police department.
For yearbooks, a diminished kind of free speech
Daydreams of summer vacations were replaced with concern about yearbook content for many school administrators as the final days of the school year came to a close last spring.
Student editors sue university trustees over funding cut
Three editors of a student newspaper are suing their university’s board of trustees, claiming that the board cut the newspaper’s funding because of its content.Editor in chief Heath Urie, managing editor Christopher Marcheso and news editor Andrew Rosenthal allege that the University of Northern Colorado Board of Trustees approved a recommendation to reduce of The Mirror’s funding by 40 percent because of articles that were critical of the board and the university’s Student Representative Council.
Officials seize video of fight from student
Not only did administrators do just that, they demanded he erase the footage — on the grounds that it infringed on the rights of the students Smalt captured on film.The incident began when Smalt, who was in a class that produced news and entertainment segments for Time Warner Cable's local public access channel, decided to report on a fight between two groups of students at Ithaca High School.
High school officials roast student papers
Though some say respect for the First Amendment is making a comeback, student journalists, administrators and advisers are still working to find the balance between students? free-speech rights and schools? responsibilities.
After conflict, senators cut funding to paper
The reduction in student fees allocated to the student paper came as a result of numerous articles criticizing the student government, said Shultz, who is the former editor in chief of the Spectrum.