our school administration...

[DrumminBoy]

Recently the administration at our high school has been punishing students for posting on the messageboards at a high school sports site called IowaPreps.com (theres one for every state). They don't care if you post positive messages, but anything posted negatively towards the school, the coaches, or the administration is resulting in either "demerits" and/or banning from all school athletic activites. Correct me if i'm wrong, but doesnt this directly contradict the 1st amendment? Can they do this legally?

 

[Orsorum]

Specific examples? Paperwork?

 

[pulse8]

If they own the site, they can keep you from posting that kind of information, but to punish you at school for it is just stupid.

 

[fatbaby]

there really is no such thing as the first amendment when you go to public school

 

[DrumminBoy]

Originally posted by: pulse8
If they own the site, they can keep you from posting that kind of information, but to punish you at school for it is just stupid.

Its part of the Rivals.com network, and isnt affiliated with our school at all.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: pulse8
If they own the site, they can keep you from posting that kind of information, but to punish you at school for it is just stupid.

It is owned by Rivals.com.

Edit-beat to the punch.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Burlington eh? 😉
Is THIS the thread you are concerned with? or which one?

CkG

 

[fatbaby]

well then it is free speech.

Now if you're posting death threats to the student body/staff/faculty/administration, then they should take action...better safe than sorry.

 

[Piano Man]

If you can prove it, I'd call the ACLU office in Des Moines.

 

[Piano Man]

Damn, lots of Iowa people in this thread. 😉

 

[GeekDrew]

If the school is the owner of the site, then they have every right to this. Some schools have insubordination clauses that prevent students from talking poorly about the district. Look up district policy. However, I am no lawyer. I strongly recommend that you contact someone such as an attorney about this. I can't think of any schools in this area that would get away with this.

Andrew

 

[DrumminBoy]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
Burlington eh? 😉
Is THIS the thread you are concerned with? or which one?

CkG

thats one of them, most of them are in the 4A basketball category.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Actually I'd skip the attorney for a while, first you need to go to a school board meeting and raise your concerns. Be prepared to give examples and such. You may not get much of a chance to speak but you MUST find a way to be heard at the meetings. I don't know how your SB sets their agenda but I suggest, if this is that important to you, that you find out how to get on the agenda. If the SB don't let you voice your concerns and/or ignores you then I would then say it is time to get a lawyer involved.

CkG

 

[Ime]

Public school is all about taking free-willed children and turning them into the mindless adult masses that do as they are told.

How well that system works is an opinion I will leave open to debate.

 

[gopunk]

maybe you should just post under a fake name?

 

[everman]

Only being allowed to say good things regardless of reality sounds like propaganda to me.

 

[GeekDrew]

Instead of a lawyer, have your parents call the school district office ASAP. I've worked with many school districts that won't pay attention without a lawyer involved, that's why I jumped the gun. Maybe if a parent or taxpayer called the district office, they will tell you when the next board meeting is.

Have fun!

Andrew

 

[DeRusto]

Originally posted by: DrumminBoy
Recently the administration at our high school has been punishing students for posting on the messageboards at a high school sports site called IowaPreps.com (theres one for every state). They don't care if you post positive messages, but anything posted negatively towards the school, the coaches, or the administration is resulting in either "demerits" and/or banning from all school athletic activites. Correct me if i'm wrong, but doesnt this directly contradict the 1st amendment? Can they do this legally?

What do ya know..they were doing that same thing in my school during my senior year...lousy Iowa schools anyway😛

 

[ViRGE]

Could you specify a bit further?

If you're an athlete, did you sign any sort of contract? Many school districts have a contract required that not only sets up the usual medical mumbo-jumbo, but sets up rules for other things too. "Strike" policies against drinking, drug use, etc are often covered under these contracts, along with sportmanship clauses. If you signed a contract, the district can do such things against you - it's in the ink. This is not to say that such contracts are legal, but any contract would be binding until found otherwise.

Now, if you're a student, the story is a different issue. You obviously don't have a contract, which limits what they can do. You could be banned from going to events, but under most cases, only if they believe you're a threat, which requires that you've done something in the past, which in turn usually means that you did it on-campus. If this is the case, follow the advice of the others: try to talk it out with the school early, but have a lawyer or ACLU waiting. The odds are this policy is not legal, but few school districts give up fights easily.

Edit: And no, IANAL, but I was part of a student group that looked at re-designing our own district's "strike" policy