California schools have added heft in their anti-bullying campaigns with the legislature passing an amendment allowing public schools to punish students who post threats or abuse of fellow students on social networks. -db From the First Amendment Center, May 29, 2012, by David L. Hudson Jr. Full story
Public schools are still outlawing bracelets worn to increase awareness of breast cancer in spite of a key federal court ruling last year upholding the rights of students to wear them. -db From a commentary for the First Amendment Center, May 24, 2012, by David L. Hudson Jr. Full story
School administrators were right to bounce a Tennessee high school student from her prom for wearing a dress resembling a Confederate flag, argues Ken Paulson for the First Amendment Center. Paulson said the school administrators were acting on the reality that the Confederate flag is divisive and could easily lead to disruption at the prom. -db From a commentary for the First Amendment Center, April 25, 2012, by Ken Paulson. Full story
The Maryland legislature is considering a law preventing colleges from requiring athletes to allow school administrators to monitor their messages and posts on the social media. Questions arise over the constitutionality of colleges funded by the government interfering with the free speech rights of students. -db From a commentary for the Citizens Media Law Project, February 23, 2012, by Eric P. Robinson Full story
The U.S. Supreme Court left standing a lower court ruling supporting the punishment of a high school student for criticizing a decision by school officials in a vulgar online posting. By ruling not to hear the case, the Court sidestepped an opportunity to establish guidelines for regulation of student speech in social media forums. -db From The CT Mirror, October 31, 2011, by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas. Full story