Your Questions, Answered

Can high school students get together to protest school decisions on campus during school hours?

You’re passionate about an issue and you want to take a stance. So, you gather up a bunch of students and organize a protest—a sit-in, a walk-out, a picket line, etc. But does the school have the power to shut it down? Aren’t these protests protected by the First Amendment? 

See our response

Can a school enforce lockdown procedures to prevent a student protest?

At school this week, all the students planned to take part in the #walkout movement—walking out of class and standing in the halls in protest of gun violence in schools. Students at plenty of other schools walked out of their classrooms, but our school was put into lockdown mode to stop the demonstration. Can the school do that? Doesn’t that violate our free speech rights?

See our response

Can I get in trouble for posting something mean about one of my teachers online?

A student at my school posted a mean comment about a math teacher on Facebook, saying “Ms. Smith is a f***ing bitch and is really a shitty teacher.” During school, ten other students “liked” the comment. The principal heard about the post and threatened to suspend the student who posted it and give anyone who “liked” it a detention. Can the school punish a student for venting on social media?

See our response

Do I have to pay for the information I ask for in a FOIA request?

I’m on the student newspaper and I wanted to find out why my school made so many changes to our school lunch program recently. I submitted a FOIA request asking to see all of the principal’s email messages in the past year. The school told me it was going to charge me $5,000 to turn over the emails! I can’t afford that, so I can’t do the story. Is this right? Can the school charge me this much? Aren’t the emails public info?

See our response

Students at my high school hire professionals to take their senior photos for the yearbook. If the school wants to use those photos for non-yearbook purposes, does the school need the photographer’s permission?

Students at my high school hire professionals to take their senior photos for the yearbook. If the school wants to use those photos for non-yearbook purposes, does the school need the photographer’s permission?

See our response

I am the editor of my school’s yearbook. Can I get in trouble for having Senior Superlatives in the yearbook? Can my school stop me from doing this?

I am the editor of my school’s yearbook. Can I get in trouble for having Senior Superlatives in the yearbook? Can my school stop me from doing this?

See our response

Can my school’s lacrosse coach stop me from taking photos of the team during practice to publish in the school yearbook?

Can my school’s lacrosse coach stop me from taking photos of the team during practice to publish in the school yearbook?

See our response

Can my teacher require me to keep my camera and/or microphone on during a live online class?

Can my teacher require me to keep my camera and/or microphone on during a live online class?

See our response

Can a teacher make a student remove a political message in the background of a video while attending school virtually?

Can a teacher make a student remove a political message in the background of a video while attending school virtually?

See our response

As a school journalism advisor, the principal told me to stop a student from publishing an article. I know the student has the right to publish the article. What should I do?

As a school journalism advisor, the principal told me to stop a student from publishing an article. I know the student has the right to publish the article. What should I do?

See our response

Can my school punish me for posting offensive tweets while I was at home?

Can my school punish me for posting offensive tweets while I was at home?

See our response

Are racist Tweets protected under the First Amendment?

Are racist Tweets protected under the First Amendment?

See our response