HIgh School Student Wants to Exercise Free Speech Between Classes

I have been working on a motion for leave to appeal, and forgot entirely about posting on my blog!

The administration says that the student can hand out information, but the high school is worried about the content of the material as well as the places that the information will be shared.

If the subject of homosexuality is discussed at all at the school, they why not allow opposing viewpoints? Many school districts include homosexual instruction from early in their elementary school curriculum. I do no know if that is the case in the school district in question.

The student in question wants to hold a fairly widespread presentation on the "Day of Truth." The "Day of Truth" is a day where Christians attempt to present their idea that homosexual behavior is immoral. Period.

Unfortunately, it appears that the students who wish to have the "Day of Silence" do not have to jump through all the procedural hoops as those who wish to have a "Day of Truth." This is sometimes the case when one viewpoint is considered "harmful" for people to have to hear or see.

I remember that sort of thing from my own high school days. We could not talk about the Viet Nam War unless it was pro-war at my high school. Also, we could not put information regarding any drug treatment centers in our high school newspaper. So, things have not really changed. Free speech exists only for the "politically correct" viewpoint. In my own high school, I suspect that the reasoning for censorship was that the school should support what the parents wanted their kids to know - and protect the kids from "knowledge beyond their years." Or something like that.

What is the Day of Silence? A day at high schools that is designed by students to inform other students that gay students need support. OK. That is a reasonable exercise of free speech. Note: the students are "speaking" all day long - by their silence. And everyone is supposed to receive that message, no matter whether in class, on the quad, at lunch, between classes, etc.

The Superintendent of the school district indicated that the officials were in no way trying to stop the student and that the event is on the schedule.

There appears to be a disagreement over that fact. The student claims that the school always makes him write a whole lot of letters and asks for meetings with his parents every time he tries to have an event. And, he asserts that has happened this time, too.

Oh, the student in question is the president of the Christian club at his high school.

As an aside, the high school has a really cool logo.