Re: Re: Re: Another worthless Baritone player


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Posted by Joe Baker on November 27, 2002 at 14:36:03:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Another worthless Baritone player posted by Rick Denney on November 27, 2002 at 09:48:50:

I don't know, Rick. I'm no lawyer, but I know that we don't extend all Constitutional rights to minors. We search their lockers, we compel them to attend school, we deny tehm the right to bear arms, and we give them favorable (unequal) treatment under the law. Given these examples, who says they are automatically extended full freedom of speech?

When the minor is a student in the public school, any activity that is RELATIVE to the school and it's staff should be subject to school discipline. This is a case where the student's behavior would obviously cause disruption at school, and damage the band director's ability to maintain order in the classroom. That's like saying he should be able to get a lude tattoo on his forehead and come to school because, after all, he got the tattoo on his own time.

Compare it to your job. Do you have the right to free speech? Yes. But what would happen if word got back to your boss that you had posted a picture of HIM with insulting (even if not libelous) statements? You'd be wishing you could get by with a 10-day suspension!

Libel charges may be an alternative, but I think it is shameful that a judge prohibited the school from disciplining a student who compromised the reputation of a teacher.

Joe Baker, whose children would be without instruments and without a computer if they did this, until they publicly apologized.


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