

(The school may place reasonable limits on the "time, place or manner" of handing it out.) The same rule applies to leaflets or buttons that you have created and paid for. If it is a completely student-run paper that you want to hand out in school, the school may not censor what you say or stop you from handing it out as long as the paper is not "indecent" and you do not "materially and substantially" disrupt school activities. It depends on whether the school is paying for producing the paper. Keep in mind - private schools have more leeway to set their own rules on free expression than public schools do.

WHAT ARE WE ALLOWED TO SAY IN A SCHOOL PAPER?

If they permit an article in the official school paper that says that premarital sex is bad, they may not censor an article that says premarital sex is good. They can probably also stop you from using language that they think is "vulgar or indecent," so watch out for the dirty words, OK?Īlso, school officials may not censor only one side of a controversy. If you hold a protest on the school steps and block the entrance to the building, school officials can stop you. You have a right to express your opinions as long as you do so in a way that doesn't "materially and substantially" disrupt classes or other school activities. This means that you can express your opinions orally and in writing - in leaflets or on buttons, armbands or T-shirts. Des Moines Independent Community School District the Supreme Court held that students in public schools - which are run by the government - do not leave their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate.

The First Amendment guarantees our right to free expression and free association, which means that the government does not have the right to forbid us from saying what we like and writing what we like we can form clubs and organizations, and take part in demonstrations and rallies.ĭO I HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPRESS MY OPINIONS AND BELIEFS IN SCHOOL? WHAT DOES FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ACTUALLY MEAN? And what I'm going to do right here is tell you about FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. The Bill of Rights applies to young people as well as adults. Many federal and state laws give us additional rights, too. of certain fundamental rights including the right to freedom of religion and to free speech and the due process of law. The Bill of Rights guarantees that the government can never deprive people in the U.S. Constitution, which has some amendments, known as the Bill of Rights. (Because the future's in our hands!)īut in order to really participate, we need to know our rights - otherwise we may lose them. Getting an education isn't just about books and grades - we're also learning how to participate fully in the life of this nation.
