You Have Free Speech, So Long as it is Appropriate

[proud2BlibKansan]

By Anthony Cody on November 26, 2011 2:15 PM

We are seeing our First Amendment right to free speech redefined by the practices being carried out by our government. In Kansas, high school student Emma Sullivan, 18 years of age, has been ordered to write letters of apology by her school after sending out a tweet to her then-sixty in number followers that read "Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot." The governor has someone on his staff monitoring Twitter for references to him, and this staffer informed the school about the negative tweet, whereupon the school took action.

A school district spokesperson responded when questioned about this:
In general, students on school-sponsored field trips, in which they are representing the school, would be expected to conduct themselves in accordance with school district policies, including use of electronic devices. Students may express their personal beliefs, views, and opinions, as long as they do so appropriately and in accordance with school policies.
This is the latest instance of government officials taking it upon themselves to determine what is appropriate when it comes to allowed speech.

At UC Berkeley, Chancellor Birgeneau sent a message to the campus community after UC police attacked peaceful protesters with batons. He wrote:

more . . . http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2011/11/you_have_free_speech_so_long_a.html

[uppityperson]

1. A bit more... If there was a school reg against tweeting, then I understand, but not about expressi

expressing "appropriately and in accordance with school policies".


"Back in Kansas, public response to the heavy-handed treatment of high school senior Emma Sullivan seems to have caught the governor and school officials by surprise. School officials promise they will look into the incident on Monday. Meanwhile, Emma Sullivan has picked up about two thousand followers on Twitter, and a Facebook page in her support is booming as well. "

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Well she did violate the cell phone policy

But the punishment is way over the top.

[uppityperson]

3. If it was just violating cell phone policy, then she deserved the same outcome as others

who violated that policy. Does anyone else who uses cell phone during school hours have to apologize to the gov?

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. In the district where I teach, your parent has to come to school to get the phone

I saw Emma's mom on the local news. She's not a happy camper - or a happy Kansas either :)

I'd love to be a fly on the wall while she met with Brownback.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. The guv needs to stock up on pepper spray and hire thugs to use it.