Student Press Law Center protests banning of Arizona school books

Together with other free speech groups, the Student Press Law Center is opposing the removal of ethnic history books from the Tucson, Arizona schools. The school district banned the books under a state law that prohibits courses of study that are “designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group.” “The Supreme Court has told [...]

Federal appeals court hands censorship tool to public colleges

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals extended the Supreme Court ruling known as Hazelwood to public colleges and universities while ruling on a case over the expulsion of a student in a counseling program at Eastern Michigan University. Hazelwood allows school administrators to censor student expression on the grounds of “legitimate pedagogical concerns.” -db [...]

Indiana high school newspaper adviser sues over suspension

An Indiana journalism adviser sued the Greater Clark County Schools claiming the the high school’s administrators were suspending her for her support of student’s First Amendment rights. The school suspended her claiming that in 2008 she had mismanaged the yearbook, but the adviser said the suspension came after the administrators objected to stories about security [...]

Press freedom award goes to college newspaper in Southern California

The Sun of Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California has been awarded the 2011 College Press Freedom Award from the Student Press Law Center and the Associated Collegiate Press. The editors and staff continued to publish The Sun as the administration ordered it shut down. “The administrators of Southwestern College threw everything they had at [...]

Student press advocate urges federal court to uphold free speech rights in breast cancer bracelet case

The Student Press Law Center is urging a federal appeals court to uphold a lower court ruling that a breast cancer awareness bracelet “I [love] Boobies” is protected speech under the First Amendment. After the Easton Area School District in Pennsylvania suspended two middle school students for wearing the bracelets, the students sued saying the [...]

Student Press Law Center files amicus in suit challenging secret admissions program at U. of Illinois

With media partners the Student Press Law Center has filed an amicus brief to a federal appeals court arguing that a lower court ruled correctly in granting the Chicago Tribune access to public records about a secret University of Illinois admissions program. The university argued that the records should be withheld on grounds of “student [...]

Minnesota court invokes Tinker in upholding punishment of student for off-campus speech

In one of the first cases concerning off-campus speech of college students, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the University of Minnesota was justified in disciplining a former student in the mortuary program for her Facebooks posts in 2009. The university claimed the student violated the student code of conduct and gave her a [...]

New York: Student speech rights set back by federal appeals court ruling against high school blogger

A New York federal appeals court delivered a double whammy to student free speech rights in ruling that a high school administration could punish Avery Doninger for statements in her off-campus blog and subsequently for wearing a “Team Avery” T-shirt at a school assembly to protest the earlier punishment. The ruling focused on the issue [...]

Hazelwood applied to college nursing student’s criticism of classroom practices

A federal judge applied Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier to a free speech case at the university level much to the dismay of First Amendment advocates. The judge upheld the dismissal of a nursing student at Auburn University at Montgomery for criticizing the nursing school’s disciplinary system. The judge later reconsidered her decision, modifying it to protect [...]

Court costs in student press freedom case mount over 13 years of litigation

The College of Staten Island  prolonged litigation over a free press issue and although students only won a $9 judgment, court costs charged to the college could total over $750,000. -db FIRE Commentary October 28, 2010 By Azhar Majeed Over at the Student Press Law Center (SPLC), Adam Goldstein writes about Husain v. Springer, in [...]

New federal law requires textbook publishers to disclose prices of texts

As of July 1, the Higher Education Opportunity Act  requires textbook publishers to provide detailed information to student journalists investigating high prices and to professors making textbook selections. The law is expected to bring more flexibility in providing affordable textbooks to students. -db Student Press Law Center June 15, 2010 By Kelsey Ryan A new [...]

Coalition files amicus brief supporting Northwestern University students with records under subpoena

A friend-of-the-court brief has been filed in support of Northwestern University journalism students working on a project seeking to prove the innocence of convicts under sentence for murder. The State Attorney is seeking their notes, interview tapes and other records to discredit their work on the project. -DB Student Press Law Center Press Release January [...]

School administrators defy California law on students’ free press rights

Administrators at the Orange County High School of the Arts censored the school newspaper for reporting that the cafeteria service provider was a Christian company, but legal experts say under state law that would not be sufficient reason for suspending publication. -DB THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER September 11, 2009 By Scott Martindale SANTA ANA – [...]

Law center supports student’s right to criticize school policies in off-campus blog

The Student Press Law Center filed a friend-of-the-court brief to support a Connecticut high school student who in a blog criticized her principal about the use of school facilities for a concert. -DB Student Press Law Center Press Release September 4, 2009 The Student Press Law Center (“SPLC”), the nation’s only nonprofit legal-assistance organization serving student journalists, [...]