Students can say anthing they want!

I received an e-mail from one of my lists - Safekids. In it was a blurb about a case in which a court ordered that a middle-school student who was put on probation for criticizing a principal on Myspace in an "expletive-laden entry " has the right of free-speech. Earlier, a judge had declared the remarks obscene. The court of appeals found that her remarks were protected as political speech "under both the state and federal constitutions because they dealt with school policy" and said that "the juvenile court had unconstitutionally restricted her right of free expression."

Does this mean it's open season?

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Comment by Sylvia Martinez on April 16, 2007 at 8:40pm: Here's a story with a few more details.
http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1501&year=

I'm not sure this is really going to make a lot of difference. A kid swearing and saying they don't agree with school policy? This is new?

Are the police arresting people who swear openly at the mall? (and those are usually loud adults on cell phones)

Comment by Shayne Train on April 18, 2007 at 9:15am: Good point! Actually I think the school and principal was overreacting, and my students do as well. However legislation is being introduced in Ontario, officially adding cyberbullying to the list of behaviours that is punishable by explusion or suspension. Of course, then there's the issue of what exactly constitutes cyberfullying.