Closing the Curtain on Student Speech

By Shawn Healy

One week removed from the drama of the Bong Hits case, the litany of potential abuses of student speech in public schools continues. At Woodlan Junior-Senior High School 10 miles east of Ft. Wayne, IN, journalism teacher Amy Sorrell was suspended for running an editorial in the student paper penned by a sophomore that advocated for gay rights. Principal Ed Yoder has since appointed himself as "publisher" of the paper.

A play interpreting the Iraq War at Wilton (CT) High School was canceled by principal Timothy Canty under concerns about context and balance just one week prior to opening. This follows mandates to include only quotes from well-known people in the school yearbook for fear of cryptic messages, a requirement that all student posters receive adminstrative approval prior to their display, and a blanket ban on bandanas on account of gang connotations.

Such administrative actions are probably defensible under Supreme Court precedent, especially the Hazelwood case from 1988 that enabled censorship of school-sponsored publications and events for "legitimate pedagogical purpose(s)." The Morse v. Frederick (aka Bong Hits) decision may change the student speech landscape, but expect only slight alterations to this balance. Regardless, the age-old clash between students, teachers, and adminstrators continues both within and without the schoolhouse gate.