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California: District attorney finds Oxnard school board in violation of open meeting law

donal brown March 7, 2011

The Ventura County District Attorny warned the Oxnard School District that they had acted improperly in deciding not to renew its business manager’s contract. The assistant DA sent a letter saying it was appropriate to take action in closed session on some personnel issues, but once the decision was made, it should notify the public of their action in the ensuing open session with details about how each trustee voted. -db From the Ventura County

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California: Open meeting violation charged in San Juan Capistrano school’s rescinding pay cuts

donal brown March 7, 2011

A school district watchdog alleged that the San Juan Capistrano Unified School District violated California’s open meeting law in reversing pay cuts to all employees without public input. Peter Scheer, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, said the district trustees should redress the error by scheduling a hearing so the public can comment before taking a revote. While saying that he thought the trustees had not erred, the superintendent of schools said he would

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Animal rights protest near pet store upheld

FAC March 4, 2011

Animal-rights advocates can protest near a pet store, despite a shopping mall’s rules that would have limited access, a state appeals court ruled. The Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles said the California constitution protects nondisruptive political activity at shopping centers. The Westside Pavilion mall in Los Angeles would have prevented Puppies Aren’t Products from protesting near the Barkworks Pup & Stuff store and would have banned protests entirely on busy shopping days,

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Free speech: Ex-cheerleader asks U.S. Supreme Court to rule on right to refuse to cheer

donal brown March 3, 2011

A ex-cheerleader punished for refusing to cheer for a basketball player who allegedly sexually attacked her is taking her case to the U.S. Supreme Court. A federal appeals court ruled that it was disruptive to the school for her to abandon her duties to cheer when she voluntarily agreed to the job. The ex-cheerleader is arguing that silence was not disruptive, and there was no legitimate educational purpose in forcing her to cheer for her

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Federal court rules students can wear ‘Be Happy, Not Gay’ T-shirts

donal brown March 3, 2011

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that students had the right to wear “Be Happy, Not Gay” T-shirts. A student at Neuqua Valley High School of the Indian Prairie School District wore the T-shirt a day after the school allowed a “Day of Silence” to protest LGBT harassment. “A school that permits advocacy of the rights of homosexual students cannot be allowed to stifle criticism of homosexuality,” Judge Richard Posner wrote for a unanimous

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