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After a highly anticipated ruling, students who attend Boyertown School district are permitted to continue the use of bathroom facilities which match their gender identity. There is a Standard of Reasonableness surrounding this case. Privacy is still in tact due to doors on the bathrooms. There may have been restrictions if it could have been justified that such restriction is necessary to maintain, “order and proper decorum” in a school. This restriction was not found necessary. The rights of others was also not infringed upon.

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Lean Adviser Legal

Think Lean Daily Message

"The longer the process takes, the more it costs and the less tangible progress the party can see, the more the parties motivation will evaporate. And this matters, because the client who gives up or accepts a mediocre deal has a vulnerable lawyer."

Lean Adviser Legal

Think Lean Daily Message

"The longer the process takes, the more it costs and the less tangible progress the party can see, the more the parties motivation will evaporate. And this matters, because the client who gives up or accepts a mediocre deal has a vulnerable lawyer."

Lean Adviser Legal

Think Lean Daily Message

"The longer the process takes, the more it costs and the less tangible progress the party can see, the more the parties motivation will evaporate. And this matters, because the client who gives up or accepts a mediocre deal has a vulnerable lawyer."

Lean Adviser Legal
Think Lean Daily Message

"The longer the process takes, the more it costs and the less tangible progress the party can see, the more the parties motivation will evaporate. And this matters, because the client who gives up or accepts a mediocre deal has a vulnerable lawyer."

Michael Riccardi |

Following is a listing of executive and legislative action for the week of Oct. 22. Both houses of the General Assembly were in recess. The state House of Representatives is set to reconvene on Nov. 13. The Pennsylvania Senate is scheduled for a session day on Nov. 14.

Max Mitchell |

Despite the fact that a man who was partially paralyzed during a charity bike ride signed a waiver, Philadelphia cannot escape liability for the 16-square-foot sinkhole that caused the crash, a judge has ruled in denying the city's efforts to win a new trial in a case that resulted earlier this year in a more than $3 million verdict.

Zack Needles |

An appellate court tasked with reviewing a bench verdict when the trial judge has issued a scant opinion and is no longer available to explain the reasoning behind it has broad power to review the entire record, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled.

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3rd Circ. Upholds Boyertown School District's Transgender Bathroom Policy | The Legal Intelligencer

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In a highly anticipated decision following a May hearing the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit said in its opinion released Tuesday that transgender students in a Montgomery County school district may continue using bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities.

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In Maryland, a transgender teen is seeking access to school locker rooms. In a two page letter, the school district is currently granting access voluntarily (temporarily). The district is also citing that they must look out for all students, who have a right to “bodily privacy” and should not be forced to undress in front of the opposite biological sex. It has also been brought to attention that there are no privacy partitions within the locker room. This case is subject to reasonableness. If the district can justify that such restriction is necessary to maintain, “order and proper decorum” in a school and/or that the exercise of the right infringes on the rights of others; the voluntary access may be denied.

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April 26
Lynn and Larry Brennan's oldest child could have remained anonymous, just three initials in federal court papers accusing the local school system of discrimination.

But their son was done with secrets, and the pretending that sickened him in those dark days after puberty hit.

Instead, the Brennans' 16-year-old - honor-roll student, marching-band member and rule follower - is out front trying to rewrite the rules at his high school on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Sophomore M.A.B. - Max Alexander Brennan - is pressing to open doors to the boys' locker room in the continuing drive for transgender rights.

"It makes me sound more rebellious than I am," Max said in an interview at home in St. Michaels, his chocolate Labrador in his lap.

"I'm just a teenager in this small town, in this small state. . . . If I put my name out there, it makes it more personal," he said.

Max's case is moving ahead after a federal judge in Baltimore ruled in March that transgender students are protected by federal law from discrimination and found for the first time that Maryland's constitution includes protections for transgender people.

Before Max, the name widely known in the cause was Gavin Grimm, a Virginia teen whose battle was on track to Supreme Court argument with the government defending an Obama-era requirement that public schools let transgender students use the restrooms matching their gender identity, not their sex at birth.

But the high court took a pass last year after the Trump administration withdrew the government's support for Grimm.

That shift left unsettled questions in communities and courtrooms throughout the country about the treatment of transgender and non-transgender students in the already awkward realm of high school locker rooms.

A federal appeals court in Pennsylvania takes up the case next month of a non-transgender student who says his privacy rights were violated when officials allowed a transgender boy to change in the boys' facilities. On the flip side, a pending Florida case involves a transgender boy banished from the boys' restroom after the school received an anonymous complaint.
[Gavin Grimm just wanted to use the bathroom. He didn't think the nation would debate it.]
Within days of the ruling in Baltimore in Max's case, the schools superintendent in Talbot County, Md., told the Brennans that Max could use the boys' locker room. The two-paragraph letter said the school board was granting access voluntarily, not settling the legal case or making the formal policy change that Max was seeking.

Max wants a guarantee that locker room access will not be revoked for him or others and that if the board changes its mind, there will be consequences.

The decision in the Grimm case enabled Max to use a boys' restroom at school, but he still had to use a unisex restroom as his private locker room.

Going there to change for soccer practice meant missing out on the camaraderie of jokes and chatter among his junior varsity teammates.

Going there to change for gym class meant having to explain to substitute teachers why he was late.

"It was forcing me to out myself to people I didn't know and to make them see me or treat me differently," Max said.

In court papers, school officials have said they must look out for all students, who have a right to "bodily privacy" and should not be forced to undress in front of the opposite biological sex. A video made by the district in the St. Michaels Middle High School locker room and submitted in court showed there are no privacy partitions.

Schools Superintendent Kelly L. Griffith declined to be interviewed about Max's case because the lawsuitcontinues. But in an email,shesaid, the board "recognizes that gender identity issues involve serious and important considerations for individual students and their families. We recognize that no two students are alike."

As for locker rooms, she added, "We will be making decisions on a case by case basis."
[Federal judge sides with transgender teen in challenge over school locker rooms]
Max, the oldest of three, was raised as a girl. An easygoing kid, he fought wearing dresses and was more interested in his two brothers' trucks and trains than Barbie dolls, his parents said. The family moved seven years ago from New Jersey to Maryland's Eastern Shore, attracted to the schools and quaint waterfront town that draw D.C.-area transplants and vacationers.

A slide into despair

By sixth grade, Max knew he was a boy. The lie of living life as a girl made him physically ill, he said in court papers, and increasingly, he kept to himself, sliding into deep despair.

A therapist diagnosed Max's feelings as gender dysphoria. His parents learned about it after Larry Brennan found a draft of a letter Max had crafted to tell his parents in essence: "I am a boy."

His mother, an occupational therapist, mourned the daughter she thought she had and was nervous about Max's safety. His father, who works in real estate, initially thought his child was just confused.

The Brennans quickly rallied behind Max, whose mood slowly improved. He legally changed his name and birth certificate. His younger brothers, now 14 and 11, helped choose the name Max. He began weekly testosterone shots and last year had a double mastectomy.

"I had this secret the whole time, and I could finally let it go," said the once withdrawn Max, who had a leading role in the spring performance of "James and the Giant Peach" and dreams of studying theater or psychology in college in New York.

At the start of seventh grade, the Brennans talked with school officials, who were compassionate and supportive of Max.

The principal organized a presentation for teachers. With the principal, the family made plans for Max to go public on his 13th birthday and to begin using a unisex bathroom in the nurse's office.

Students began calling their classmate by his new name. A pronoun occasionally got mixed up unintentionally, but it was understandable in a class of about 60, most of whom had known Max for years as a girl.

As eighth grade approached, Max said, he was ready to use the facilities designated for boys. The day before the school year started, though, his mother had to deliver bad news. The school board insisted that Max continue to use the private, unisex bathroom or the girls' restrooms and locker room, court papers show, and later explained its "obligation to consider the rights of all of its students."

Max's parents consulted lawyers for the first time, and at school, Max mostly avoided the restroom.

It was humiliating, he said in court filings, recalling "weird looks" from other students when he ducked into gender-neutral facilities no other students used.

He never stepped into the girls' locker room. The girls would have complained, Max said, his cheeks flushing even now at that scenario.

Ruling and reaction

That spring of 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, which hears cases from Virginia and Maryland, sided with Grimm, and the Talbot County superintendent announced in a letter to parents that the board had to follow the court's directive. Max could use the boys' restroom.
[Federal appeals court sides with transgender teen, says bathroom case can go forward]
The change prompted some public complaints, including a call for the superintendent to resign, a letter of protest and testimony from three people at a board meeting, including a local pastor concerned about the safety and privacy of non-transgender students.

But the locker room was still off limits, and Max went to court with the help of the LGBT advocacy group FreeState Justice, a step he and his parents never imagined taking.

"We've been following his lead the whole time, while trying to guide him as parents," Lynn Brennan said.

One friend and teammate, Jeremy Foy, told the court, "all the students that I know of are cool with the fact that M.A.B. is a boy," and besides, Foy said in a declaration, students don't typically shower after games or practice and strip only to their underwear to change.

School officials stressed in their filings that locker rooms are inherently different from restrooms and that students have the right to "shield one's body from exposure to the opposite sex," particularly during adolescence when students are "arguably at the peak of discomfort and vulnerability with regard to the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of human sexuality."
[Federal judge sides with transgender teen in challenge over school locker rooms]
On a Monday afternoon in March, Max's mother once again broke news to him as he returned home from school.

Look at page 37, she told him, handing him a thick document topped by his initials.

It was the Maryland federal court ruling, with U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III writing that students concerned about changing next to a transgender classmate have the option of using a private restroom or stall.

Barring Max from the locker room, however, "singles M.A.B. out, quite literally because it does not apply to anyone else at the high school, and marks him as different for being transgender," Russell wrote and wrapped up with a line from Grimm's case:

"M.A.B.'s claims come down to a 'boy asking his school to treat him just like any other boy.' "

But the early ruling in his favor has not eased Max's worries about locker room access for him or the students who would come after him. Gym class is a graduation requirement, and he is set to take it this fall.

Read more:

The life sentence he got as a teen came with a chance at parole. But is it a real chance?

Despite a mother's plea, her mentally ill daughter was sold a firearm. With tragic results.

Why did Lance Armstrong just pay the federal government $5 million?

Historian who stole WW II dog tags from the National Archives to sell committed "morally repugnant" crime

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Battle over transgender student rights moves to high school locker rooms

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A Maryland transgender teen in court case says he was done with secrets and pretending.

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The teacher mentioned in the following article "did not break any district policy," per the superintendent. Said teacher issued an apology and stated his goal: "providing an exceptional education to his students." Under the idea of membership in subversive organizations; teachers can join organizations, but can not participate in unlawful activities. Teachers are also granted Freedom of Association. This includes the right to associate with other individuals of their choice without threat of punishment. Teachers also have the right to assemble.

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ROYERSFORD, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania teacher who portrays a Nazi villain named Blitzkrieg at local professional wrestling events can keep his teaching job.

The superintendent of the Spring-Ford Area School District says an investigation of sixth-grade teacher Kevin Bean found no evidence that he violated school board policy.

The Daily Local reports Superintendent David Goodin made the announcement in a letter to parents.

The district launched a probe last month after video surfaced of Bean performing at a wrestling event in the Philadelphia suburbs. It showed Bean, as Blitzkrieg, carrying a flag bearing the German Iron Cross and chanting the "Sieg Heil" Nazi salute.

The letter includes an apology from Bean, saying the character doesn't reflect his personal beliefs. He says he prides himself on "providing an exceptional education to his students."
___
Information from: Daily Local News, http://www.dailylocal.com

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Teacher who portrayed Nazi at pro wrestling events keeps job

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ROYERSFORD, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania teacher who portrays a Nazi villain named Blitzkrieg at local professional wrestling events can keep his teaching job. The superintendent of the Spring-Ford Area School District says an investigation of sixth-grade teacher Kevin Bean found no evidence that he violated school board policy.

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In the following case, two students (ages 15 and 16) were found to have illegal substances on them. It is assumed that after due process, the police and the student's parents were contacted. Under the Fourth Amendment, the students have protection against all unreasonable search and seizure requests. The school was acting in loco parentis. Because in loco parentis can not stand alone, there must have been reasonable suspicion surrounding this case (though the article does not clearly define).

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Three students at Cedar Crest High School are facing charges after being found with marijuana on school grounds, South Lebanon Township police reported Friday.

School officials contacted police after finding the drug on the pupils Tuesday, investigators said.

The students, two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old, were charged as juveniles with drug possession and released to their parents, police said.

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3 Cedar Crest High School students facing drug charges

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Three students at Cedar Crest High School are facing charges after being found with marijuana on school grounds, South Lebanon Township police reported Friday. School officials contacted police after finding the drug on the pupils Tuesday, investigators said. The students, two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old, were charged as juveniles with drug possession and released to their parents, police said.

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The 14th Amendment was put into place when a middle school teacher accidently took a handgun to school. Although teachers have the right to Freedom of Expression; those freedoms of teachers are limited to the requirement that it does not create material disruption to the educational interest of the school district. The district commented, "We do not condone this teachers' behavior, and we will continue to work with local authorities, comply with State reporting requirements, and the teacher will remain removed from all District buildings indefinitely until the District has a better understanding of how legal proceedings may conclude."

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A teacher at Lebanon Middle School is facing charges after police say he brought a handgun to the school.

Chad Thomas, 41, brought the legally-owned handgun to the school in his backpack on April 12, according to police.

A school custodian discovered the handgun later that day when cleaning Thomas' office.

Police don't believe faculty or students were targeted, and Thomas told police he forgot the firearm was in his backpack.

Thomas is charged with possession of a weapon on school property.

Lebanon School District released the following statement on its website:

"Last Thursday, on April 12, 2018, a gun was found on our middle school property after school hours when our custodial team cleaned the building. This weapon belonged to a teacher, who mistakenly brought it on school property and had it stored within a protective case. Once found, proper protocols were followed and it was immediately reported to local authorities for investigation.

"We were fully cooperative with local authorities to maintain the integrity of the investigation, which meant we have been unable to comment on the investigation. Now that charges have been filed, the District will continue to cooperate with the process if and when called upon.

"Most importantly, it should be known that at no time were staff or students in harm's way. The safety of our staff and students is of paramount importance to us. We will continue to monitor our schools to ensure we have the safest environments to educate our students.

"We do not condone this teachers' behavior, and we will continue to work with local authorities, comply with State reporting requirements, and the teacher will remain removed from all District buildings indefinitely until the District has a better understanding of how legal proceedings may conclude."

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Teacher brought handgun to school: Police

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A teacher at Lebanon Middle School is facing charges after police say he brought a handgun to the school. Chad Thomas, 41, brought the legally-owned handgun to the school in his backpack on April 12, according to police. A school custodian discovered the handgun later that day when cleaning Thomas' office.

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The First and the Fourth Amendment are written all over these three cases. On one hand, the First Amendment protects and empowers transgender people and their basic personal rights. Where, the Fourth amendment calls in a right for privacy. There are sadly lines of discrimination also within this piece. As stated by the complaint,  "It codifies discrimination against transgender people, and mirrors anti-transgender legislation pursued in other states that has uniformly led to public outcry, financial calamity, and constitutional challenges." These cases even are on the line of potentially moving to De Jure Segregation. If students follow the idea of segregation, they could state the Equal protection clause prohibits state-endorsed discrimination.

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Since North Carolina's highly controversial House Bill 2 was introduced in March 2016, the issue of transgender people's access to gender-segregated public facilities has been at the forefront of battles over LGBTQ rights.

In 2017, 10 states introduced legislation attempting to restrict trans people's access to bathrooms and other public facilities, though none passed. And so far in 2018, six states have introduced such legislation, according to the ACLU. The issue has also come up in public schools across the U.S.

This week alone, three lawsuits - from Montana to Oregon to Pennsylvania - involving transgender people's access to gender-segregated facilities will have their day in court.

On Monday, a district court judge in Montana heard from both sides in Hobaugh v. Montana. The case concerns I-183, or the Montana Locker Room Privacy Act, a ballot measure put forward by the Montana Family Foundation that would require transgender individuals to use public facilities, including restrooms or locker rooms, corresponding to their "biological sex" and not their gender identity.

The ACLU of Montana is challenging the measure in court before it even appears on the November ballot. According to the lawsuit, which the organization filed on behalf of eight transgender plaintiffs and the city of Missoula, the ballot measure would "harass, humiliate, and harm transgender Montanans."

"It codifies discrimination against transgender people, and mirrors anti-transgender legislation pursued in other states that has uniformly led to public outcry, financial calamity, and constitutional challenges," the complaint states.

The Montana Family Foundation pushed back against the lawsuit in a statement issued by its president, Jeff Laszioffy.

"The Montana Locker Room Privacy Act is about protecting privacy, safety, and dignity for all Montanans," Laszioffy stated. "Males and females use different locker rooms. This isn't some new idea, it's just common sense. The ACLU should permit the people of Montana to vote. That's supposed to be how self-government works."

Gabriel Arkles, senior staff attorney for the ACLU's LGBT and HIV Project, decried the potential effects of Montana's I-183 ballot measure, saying it could have a detrimental impact on trans people's lives.

"When trans people can't use the restroom that matches our gender ... we cannot be a part of public life," he said. "It keeps you from going to work school or even just to dinner with your friends."

Montana's measure includes what Arkles called a "bounty provision," meaning that if someone perceives a transgender person to be in the "wrong" restroom, that person could sue state and local government entities.

Last month, a similar initiative was defeated in Alaska. Had Anchorage's Proposition 1 passed, it would have reversed the city's existing transgender anti-discrimination protections and required trans people to use restrooms and other gender-segregated public facilities that corresponded to their sex assigned at birth, not their gender identity.

Bobbie Zenker, a plaintiff in the Montana case, called the ballot measure "very damaging" and an "affront to dignity."

"Laws like I-183," Zenker said, "attempt to force transgender people out of the public."

The two other transgender-rights cases being heard in court this week both deal with students' access to gender-segregated facilities at school.

In Oregon, two organizations - Parents for Privacy and Parents' Rights in Education - claim transgender-inclusive policies implemented in Dallas School District No. 2 in Dallas, Oregon, violate the privacy of non-transgender students.

The new rules and policies, their complaint states, "radically changed the meaning of 'sex' in Title IX" of the Education Amendments of 1972, which states, "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Portland claimed the school board "unilaterally rejected the Title IX meaning of sex, which for 40 years has meant biologically male and female, two objectively determined, fixed, binary sexes rooted in our human reproductive nature."

Currently, the school district allows transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms corresponding with their gender identity as part of the district's Student Safety Plan. The complaint alleges the new policy makes it "unavoidable" that "adolescent students, in the midst of disrobing within private intimate spaces, will encounter an adolescent student of the opposite sex in their midst."

The third case, Doe v. Boyertown, will be heard on Thursday in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. Parents of children in the Boyertown Area School District claim the district's transgender-inclusive restroom policy violates the privacy rights of non-transgender students.

"District Appellees accommodated such students' gender identities in various ways - such as using desired names and pronouns, welcoming changes in dress and grooming, and conforming school records to the chosen gender," the lawsuit states. "But such accommodation crosses a statutory and constitutional line when the District authorizes entry of one sex into the other sex's privacy facilities."

Ria Tabacco Mar, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU's LGBT and HIV Project, said this particular case is the first challenge by cisgender (non-transgender) students to a school's transgender-inclusive accommodations policy that has reached a federal appeals court. Therefore, the case "could set important precedents," Mar explained.

While the Boyertown Area School District voluntarily adopted a transgender-inclusive policy, the plaintiffs in the case claim the policy violates their constitutional rights. Mar, however, argued this reflects a "fundamental misunderstanding of what the constitution protects" and is confident the courts will side with transgender students.

Because the Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on the issue of trans students use of gender-segregated school facilities - it declined to hear the high-profile Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board case last March - those on both sides of the debate anticipate more litigation in the future.

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Three transgender-rights cases to have their day in court this week

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Courts in Montana, Oregon and Pennsylvania will hear cases this week involving transgender people's access to gender-segregated public facilities.

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As stated in this article, during homeroom, students at East Penn engaged in a "required watching" of pro-LGBT videos. As insisted by the superintendent, “This was student work; this wasn’t staff work." He goes on to say, “This was not curriculum… This was student work that needs to be protected from public scrutiny.” Students do have a right to expression and a right to a forum, but the word "required," is where the law comes into play. Students should have a choice.

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Pennsylvania District Fights to Keep Parents From Watching Pro-LGBT Videos Students Were Required to Watch

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A weeklong showing of pro-LGBT videos was shown to children in the East Penn School district without the knowledge or approval from parents.

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This situation involves a posting on a student's instagram account. Though students have a right to have a forum, this said posting includes a gun and threats made to the school district. Per board policy, whether the threat be made in person, in writing, or electronically, it is treated the same way: "The Superintendent or designee shall notify the parent/guardian of any student directly involved in an incident involving a terroristic threat as a victim or suspect immediately, as soon as practicable. The Superintendent or designee shall inform the parent/guardian whether or not the local police department that has jurisdiction over the school property has been or may be notified of the incident." The language surrounding "practicable" indicates the usage of Substantive Due Process.

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district said.

Lower Paxton Township Police were called immediately and they made contact with the student and guardian at a residence, the district said. Police learned the gun in the photo was a bb gun.

The district will work with the Lower Paxton Township Police throughout their investigation, and will take disciplinary action against the student in accordance with the district's code of conduct, the district said.

"The safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance," the district said. "As a reminder, we encourage parents and students to report any threatening social media posts to their building principal(s)."

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Central Dauphin Middle School student made threatening instagram post: district

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A Central Dauphin Middle School student created a threatening instagram post featuring a firearm, but investigation determined it was a bb gun, the district said.

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The use of any expression (verbal, written, electronic) continues to fall under the First Amendment. The First Amendment and Freedom of Expression surround the 1960’s Tinker case, where the ruling stated that all students are entitled to First Amendment guarantees. In this specific case, the rights were not exercised in a manner that created material or substantial disruption to the educational process. As far as social media, if a student’s rights are restricted, school officials must demonstrate justifiable or legitimate reason. To ensure that all rights of the students are protected, schools can create a legally defensible “code of student conduct.” This should be approved by school district’s attorney, adopted by the board, policies assigned, reviewed, and revised, as needed. Most districts have revised their policies surrounding social media and cyberbullying.

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Schools are punishing students for what they post online, even when students post content outside of school hours and without using school property. Administrators say cyberbullying has a huge effect on schools and requires attention. Others say punishing students for what they say and do while out of school is an overreach of power. What should be done?
PERSPECTIVES
There's no precedent for a student's free speech rights within the context of the internet.
Can schools punish students for off-campus, online speech?
Indeed, a key problem here is that the US Supreme Court has never ruled in a case involving the off-campus speech rights of students in the digital era.

Public school students do possess First Amendment speech rights, although those rights are not the same as those of adults in nonschool settings.

A case in point is the Supreme Court's famous 1969 proclamation in Tinker v Des Moines Independent Community School District that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate."

As things are now, students live in a grey zone where school administrators are essentially making it up as they go along.

The bottom line is this: public school students deserve the right to know, pre-posting and pre-texting, what their First Amendment rights are when they are away from campus.

They must, in other words, be given fair notice. The court should hear Bell to let them know precisely what their rights are. It is an issue not likely to go away soon.

Many argue a common sense application of free speech is enough to clear up all the confusion. Even if the speech is offensive, free speech is a guaranteed right.
Why students have a right to mock teachers online:
In a perfect world -- or some people's perfect world -- students would all be polite and well behaved. They would respect their principals and teachers and speak of them with reverence. But in the real world, students push back against authority figures -- they tease and mock. Now, in the social-media age, the authority figures are more likely to find out.

There clearly can be student Facebook or MySpace speech that goes too far -- for example, serious threats that really do disrupt educational activities. But when speech is merely offensive, and taking place outside of school hours and property, principals and teachers should ignore it -- and think of it as the price we pay for living in a free country.

Anti-cyberbullying activists argue it is a school's responsibility to ensure a safe environment for all students. Social media is a huge part of student life and schools must be involved.
Can a school respond to off-campus cyberbullying?
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969): Students have free-speech rights. "A prohibition against expression of opinion, without any evidence that the rule is necessary to avoid substantial interference with school discipline or the rights of others, is not permissible under the First and Fourteenth Amendments." Students have constitutional rights under the First Amendment. Those rights, however, do not grant students the right to substantially interfere with school discipline or "the rights of other students to be secure and to be let alone."

Many people think schools should not punish students for actions on the internet.

I don't understand how schools can punish you for things you say on the Internet.
-- Marcus (@MarcusClough) September 17, 2013

But seriously how is it even legal for schools to punish kids for what they say on the Internet unless u are threatening them.
-- ike nwoye (@systmbraika) February 13, 2015

Schools should not be allowed to punish a student for what they put on Twitter
-- Thomas Fitzgerald (@thomasfitz14) October 28, 2015

Some places, like Australia, are taking major steps to restrict students online for their safety.

Measures to stop students posting photos of classmates online are being introduced in Victorian schools. #9Today https://t.co/mvTJsMOObf
-- The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) April 5, 2016

#creepy... schools track all their students online activity for keywords, stop 'radicalisation' #sigh http://t.co/yrYGSRxDUs
-- ariel estrins (@arielestrins) July 23, 2015

RT @TheSingleMama: Stop the bullying. Online. In mommy blogs. On twitter. In comments. In schools. Stop. Be the bigger person. Just. Stop.
-- Kristi Bonney (@KristiBonney) October 7, 2010

"schools block websites to stop bullying online" schools have STILL not learned that it's not the websites, but the children who bully 8|
-- [?]( waa ] [?])_!!! ON ICE (@EmergencyBattle) October 29, 2015
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Should schools discipline students for their online behavior?

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Schools are punishing students for what they post online, even when students post content outside of school hours and without using school property. Administrators say cyberbullying has a huge effect on schools and requires attention. Others say punishing students for what they say and do while out of school is an overreach of power.

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"See You at the Pole..." Prayer and Public School

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"See You at the Pole..." Prayer and Public School

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Students gather for student-led prayer outside of Cumberland Valley High School. The school maintains the principle of neutrality, where they assume a neutral position, neither supporting religion nor prohibiting individual students from exercising their religious rights. With the First  Amendment and the Free exercise clause (prohibits the state from interfering with individual religious freedoms); students have the right to pray voluntarily as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others.

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More than 50 students gathered outside of the Cumberland Valley High School this morning for the annual "See You At the Pole" event.

Hosted by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, students around the country united for a morning of song and prayer.

Cumberland Valley senior Garrett Greenwood said the fellowship invites students to join them for a few songs, and then they break into groups. First the small groups pray for the issues that affect themselves and their friends and families. Then they gather in medium-sized groups, praying for the school and community.

And finally, as one big group, they link hands around the flag pole, praying for the nation and the world.

"It's a very holy experience," said junior Keely Reese. "It's really cool to see that everyone is here for the same reasons. We're all here to worship God and be together in our faith."

Students described it as a moving experience and a chance to unite in the faith that links them.

"It shows there's a Christian presence in the community and we're all hoping for the same thing and want our nation and our world to improve," senior Lily Gleeson said.

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See You at the Pole: Central Pa. students sing, pray in national event

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More than 50 students gathered outside of the Cumberland Valley High School this morning for the annual "See You At the Pole" event. Hosted by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, students around the country united for a morning of song and prayer.