How far may schools go in restricting student speech in the interest of school safety?
School safety is arguably the single most compelling interest of any community; it is certainly the foremost issue in the minds of parents. Therefore, courts have become increasingly deferential to school safety concerns. This is especially true since the school shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and other communities, which have caused school administrators to focus more attention on ensuring safe school environments. As a result, many public schools across the country have adopted a variety of restrictions on students’ free expression rights. However, some restrictions of student speech rights have been excessive, and many students have been unfairly punished for artwork, class essays, and poems. Two commentators neatly illustrate the problem: In this evolving area of the law, the goal of creating safe and orderly school environments and the potential for school district liability demand that schools carefully assess threats of violence and determine appropriate responses. Yet, i
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