[IP] Federal Judge Says Students Have Rights, Too

[Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>]

This hit home for me. The event was a lot calmer but the school gave the
person the opportunity to present his/her explanation to the school
officials and then the punishment would be done. Note no chance for
reversal.

Djf


------ Forwarded Message
From: Randall <rvh40@insightbb.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 22:23:51 -0500
To: johnmacsgroup@yahoogroups.com
Cc: dave@farber.net
Subject: Federal Judge Says Students Have Rights, Too

Nov 28, 8:43 PM (ET)

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that a school
district violated a student's rights to free speech and due process when it
suspended him for posting "intimidation and threats" on the Internet.

The Waterford School District should not have suspended the student in
August
2001 for contributing to "Satan's Web page," U.S. District Judge Patrick
Duggan ruled this week.

School officials were concerned by content that included a passage labeled
"Satan's mission for you this week." It read: "Stab someone for no reason
then set them on fire throw them off of a cliff, watch them suffer and with
their last breath, just before everything goes black, spit on their face."

The student, who was not identified, was suspended after a hearing in which
 he wasn't allowed to cross-examine witnesses and could not be represented
by
 an attorney, said his lawyer, Richard Landau.

The student sued the district, seeking damages of up to $75,000. He has
since
graduated from a school in a neighboring district.

School representatives and the attorney representing the district did not
return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday.



------ End of Forwarded Message

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