Shaun Bishop of the San Mateo Daily News reports that the Sequoia Union High School District’s board of trustees tonight (Feb. 4) will “adjust the district’s policies on student freedom of speech and publications to be more in line with recent court decisions and changes in state law.” The changes followed the criticism the district got when it abruptly closed the student newspaper at Carlmont High School after it published an essay by a student who was joking about his own sexiness.
- “The new policy is a page and a half long and offers more explanation of students’ rights, such as protections for material published on the Internet and a statement against ‘prior restraint,’ or action by school officials to prevent publication of legal content,” the Daily News reported. “It also goes into more detail about prohibited speech, including the use of ‘fighting words,’ obscene or libelous material and content that would disrupt the school’s operation.’