While the District recognizes a student’s right of expression under the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, school-sponsored media does not provide an open public forum for public expression. Student media, as well as the content of student expression in school-sponsored activities, shall be subject to the editorial review of the District’s administration, whose actions shall be reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns and adhere to the following limitations:
Media may be regulated to prohibit communications determined by the appropriate teacher, student media advisor, and/or administrator to be ungrammatical; poorly written; inadequately researched; biased or prejudiced; vulgar or profane; or unsuitable for immature audiences.
Media may be regulated to prohibit the dissemination of material that may reasonably be perceived to advocate drug or alcohol use; irresponsible behavior; conduct that is otherwise inconsistent with the shared values of a civilized social order; or to associate the school with any position other than neutrality on matters of political controversy
Prohibited media includes those that:
Are obscene as to minors;
Are libelous or slanderous, including material containing defamatory falsehoods about public figures or governmental officials, and made with knowledge of their falsity or reckless disregard of the truth;
Constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy as defined by state law;
Suggest or urge the commission of unlawful acts on the school premises;
Suggest or urge the violation of lawful school regulations;
Scurrilously attacks ethnic, religious, or racial groups; or
Harass, threaten, or intimidate a student.
Student media displayed on school web pages shall follow the same guidelines as listed above and shall also:
Not contain any non-educational advertisements;
Adhere to the restrictions regarding use of Directory Information as prescribed in Policy 4.13 including not using a student’s photograph when associated with the student’s name unless written permission has been received from the student’s parent or student of over the age of eighteen (18);
State that the views expressed are not necessarily those of the School Beard or the employees of the district.