Student Rights
Minor children do not have the same constitutionally-protected rights as do ordinary adult citizens. Parents and other authority figures can make rules for children that may have the effect of restricting, for example, young peoples’ freedom of speech or religious exercise. School officials often act as authority figures in the lives of young people. Because they are government actors, the actions of public school officials may be limited by Bill of Rights protections to some extent.
Top Story:
DeVos Dodges Questions on Discrimination
Date: 6/6/2017
Source: US News & World Report
Past Headlines:
Arizona Lawmakers In Favor Of Guaranteeing Student Journalists’ Free Speech
Date: 5/9/2017
Source: KJZZ
Student Protests Dress Code with “#iamnotadistraction” Written on Her Arm
Date: 4/13/2017
Source: Yahoo! News
Salem College students conduct sit-in protest, allege racism, sexism and elitism
Date: 4/11/2017
Source: Winston-Salem Journal
Bill on Student Religious Freedom Clears the Indiana Senate
Source: Associated Press
Date: 3/30/2017
U.S. Department of Education Releases Guidance on Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities
U.S. Department of Education
12/28/2016
Elections Spark Student Protest
Date: 11/10/2016
Source: The Murray State News
Despite City Ordinance, Students with Marijuana Still Face Punishments
Date: 10/25/2016
Source: The Daily Helmsman
Teacher Tells High School Student He Can’t Fly American Flag
Date: 10/13/2016
Source: Arkansas Matters
Are Utah Schools Violating Diabetic Students’ Rights?
Date: 10/07/2016
Source: Desert News- Utah
Student, Gun-Rights Activist Plans Hunger Strike
Date: 09/23/2016
Source: Collegiate Times
Durant High School Students Walk out to Protest Mold Concerns
Date: 09/21/2016
Source: Fox- KXII News 12
City Schools to Ban Students Without Immunization Vaccinations
Date: 09/19/2016
Source: ABC- Baltimore
High School Student’s Grade Lowered for Sitting During Pledge of Allegiance
Date: 09/15/2016
Source: Fox- Chicago
UT Students Brace for New Campus Carry Law
Date: 08/21/2016
Source: ABC- KVUE
At Two Colleges, What Happens when Protestors Disrupt Free Speech
Date: 5/26/2016
Source: Inside Higher Ed
No Concealed Carry at University of Arkansas, Trustees Say
Date: 5/27/2016
Source: Arkansas Online
Blinn College Settles Free Speech Lawsuit Filed by Student
Date: 5/9/2016
Source: WTAW – Brazos Valley
Immigrant Students Arrested Protesting Georgia’s Enrollment Policies
Date: 5/10/2016
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution
Monett, Missouri Schools May Begin Random Drug Testing
Date: 5/6/2016
Source: Ozarks First
Georgia Governor Vetoes Guns and Religious Liberty Bills
Date: 5/4/2016
Source: WDEF – Chattanooga
Ithaca College Students Seek to Preserve Free Speech
Date: 4/19/2016
Source: The Ithacan
University of Missouri Files Countersuit Over Gun Rights on Campus
Date: 4/17/2016
Source: Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Officer Suspended, Apologizes after South Alabama Student Cited for Wearing Empty Gun Holster
Date: 4/15/2016
Source: WTVM – Columbus
University of Texas Won’t Change Gun Policy After Slaying
Date: 4/11/2016
Source: CBS – Dallas-Fort Worth
University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Student Government Leader Asked to Resign over Trump Chalking
Date: 4/7/2016
Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press
Court: Student Punished for USC Sex Assault Didn’t Receive Due Process
Date: 4/5/2016
Source: The Recorder
Survey: College Students Seek Balance on Free Speech and Hate Speech
Date: 4/4/2016
Source: Washington Post
Duke Students Occupy Administration Building in Racially Charged Protest
Date: 4/4/2016
Source: TIME
Emory Students Protest Pro-Trump Slogans, Say They Don’t Feel Safe
Date: 3/24/2016
Source: USA Today
Kansas Professor who Used Racial Slur in Class Cleared of Wrongdoing
Date: 3/20/2016
Source: Washington Post
Tennessee Lawmaker Blasts ISIS, but Defends Free Speech Comments
Date: 3/18/2016
Source: The Tennessean
Fresno Students Walk Out in Protest, Say School Administration is “Too White”
Date: 3/10/2016
Source: Fresno Bee
On Minnesota Campuses, Free Speech Up for Debate
Date: 3/9/2016
Source: Minnesota Public Radio
More Than a Thousand Boston Students March to Protest Cuts
Date: 3/7/2016
Source: Boston Globe
Texas College Student Sues Over Expulsion for Alleged Sex Assault
Date: 3/1/2016
Source: Fox News
Williams, Arizona School District Considers Random Drug Testing Policy
Date: 2/23/2016
Source: Williams News
Students at California School Allowed to Display Anti-Gay Stickers
Date: 2/29/2016
Source: CBS News
University of Texas Campus Head Oks Gun Rules
Date: 2/17/2016
Source: ABC News
Iowa State Executives Appeal Free Speech-Marijuana Logo Case
Date: 2/18/2016
Source: ABC News
Should Schools Have the Right to Strip Search Students?
Date: 2/10/2016
Source: WFMZ – Allentown
Georgia Bill Would Allow Prayer Back in Schools
Date: 2/8/2016
Source: WSB- Atlanta
Kansas Regent Staff, Students Protest Concealed Carry on Campus Law at KU
Date: 2/8/2016
Source: KSHB – Kansas City
Freedom from Religion Foundation Files Amended Complaint Against Indiana School District
Date: 2/8/2016
Source: ABC – South Bend
Missouri Bill Aimed at Block Censorship of Student Reports
Date: 2/2/2016
Source: Springfield News-Leader
Lawrence, Kansas Student Banned from Displaying Confederate Flag
Date: 1/29/2016
Source: KMBC – Kansas City
Montgomery County, Maryland Students Petitioned for Full Week of Closings
Date: 1/28/2016
Source: Washington Post
Bill Would Require Free Speech Classes at Missouri Colleges
Date: 1/26/2016
Source: KMBC – Kansas City
Florida Campus Carry Bill Denied Hearing
Date: 1/26/2016
Source: Central Florida Future
Georgia Lawmakers Stress Due Process in Campus Assault Cases
Date: 1/26/2016
Source: WABE – Atlanta
Georgia Bill to Allow Prayer at Football Games, School Events
Date: 1/25/2016
Source: WABE – Atlanta
Kansas Board of Regents Approves Gun Policy Allowing Concealed Weapons on Campus
Date: 1/20/2016
Source: Topeka Capital-Journal
Mizzou Professor Charged with Assault for Protest Confrontation
Date: 1/25/2016
Source: KMBZ – Kansas City
Marijuana Group Wins Free Speech Lawsuit Against Iowa State
Date: 1/22/2016
Source: ABC News
New Bill Filed in Kentucky to Protect Student Free Speech
Date: 1/21/2016
Source: The Lousville Cardinal
Universities Claim Florida Campus Carry Bill would Cost Millions
Date: 1/20/2016
Source: First Coast News
Roanoke County Schools to Consider Random Drug Testing Policy
Date: 1/11/2016
Source: Roanoke Times
Missouri Lawmaker Proposes Taking Away Scholarships if Student Athletes Boycott
Date: 12/14/2015
Source: KMBC – Kansas City
Paradise Valley Community College Sued Over Free Speech Zone
Date: 12/14/2015
Source: The Arizona Republic
Wisconsin University Panel Endorses Free Speech
Date: 12/10/2015
Source: ABC News
Petition Seeks to Block Re-Enrollment at Roanoke College of Man Acquitted of Rape Charge
Date: 12/8/2015
Source: The Roanoke Times
Yale Couple Flees Classroom Amid Free Speech Chill
Date: 12/8/2015
Source: Fox News
Princeton Protesters Respond to National and Campus-wide Criticism
Date: 12/5/2015
Source: New Jersey Star-Ledger
Free Speech Divides Princeton Students
Date: 12/2/2015
Source: Fox Business
Muslim College Students Seek Permanent Prayer Space
Date: 11/30/2015
Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen
Yale Faculty Pen Letter in Support of Embattled Colleagues
Date: 11/830/2015
Source: New Haven Register
With Diversity Comes Intensity in Amherst Free Speech Debate
Date: 11/28/2015
Source: New York Times
College Presidents Defend Free Speech
Date: 11/22/2015
Source: Hartford Courant
Reporters Barred from Smith College Black Lives Matter Sit-In Unless They Support Movement
Date: 11/19/2015
Source: Mass Live
Kansas Students, Regents Prep for Concealed Carry on Campus
Date: 11/21/2015
Source: Wichita Eagle
Occidental College Student Activists Demand Resignation of College President Amid Diversity Protest
Date: 11/17/2015
Source: CBS Los Angeles
Speech Advocates Alarmed by Campus Protests
Date: 11/11/2015
Source: Columbia Daily Tribune
Amherst Students Release List of Demands Protesting ‘Free Speech’ Signs
Date: 11/13/2015
Source: Boston.com
Claremont McKenna Dean of Students Resigns Following Student Protests
Date: 11/13/2015
Source: USA Today
Missouri Controversy Highlights Academia’s Free Speech Struggle
Date: 11/13/2015
Source: USA Today
Missouri Student Files Complaint Against Professor who Called for “Muscle”
Date: 11/12/2015
Source: USA Today
Racial Discrimination Protests Ignite at Colleges Across U.S.
Date: 11/11/2015
Source: New York Times
Tolerance, Free Speech Collide on Campus
Date: 11/12/2015
Source: Wall Street Journal
Missouri Professor Apologizes for Bullying Student Journalist
Date: 11/11/2015
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Students at University of Missouri asked to Report ‘Hateful,’ ‘Hurtful’ Speech
Date: 11/10/2015
Source: Fox News
Yale Students Protest Against Free Speech
Date: 11/8/2015
Source: New York Times
University of Missouri Football Team and Coach Join Protest to Oust Leader
Date: 11/8/2015
Source: Los Angeles Times
Ozark Schools Look into a Drug Testing Policy
Date: 11/5/2015
Source: KSPR – Springfield, MO
Campus Carry Measure Advances in Florida House
Date: 11/4/2015
Source: Jacksonville Business Journal
Was Free Speech of High School Student Violated?
Date: 11/3/2015
Source: KCRA – Sacramento
Illinois District Violated Transgender Student’s Rights, U.S. Says
Date: 11/2/2015
Source: New York Times
Parents Protest Decision to Shut Down School
Date: 10/28/2015
Source: CBS San Diego
Campus Carry Advocates Make Their Case at TCU
Date: 10/22/2015
Source: The Texas Tribune
University of California Asks for Public Input on Rewrite of Free Speech Policy
Date: 10/26/2015
Source: ABC News
Despite Orders, Washington High School Coach Prays on Field After Game
Date: 10/17/2015
Source: CNN
Students Pepper Sprayed, Cuffed during Rhode Island High School Protest
Date: 10/15/2015
Source: WPRI – Providence
Texas Figuring Out How to Handle Campus Concealed Carry Law
Date: 10/10/2015
Source: CNN
Montana State University Adopts First Student Bill of Rights
Date: 10/7/2015
Source: Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Drug Test’s False Positive Lands College Student in Jail
Date: 10/2/2015
Source: Fox 13 – Tampa Bay
Religious Conflict Continues at North Texas High School
Date: 10/202015
Source: NBC – Dallas-Fort Worth
Wesleyan Students Want to Shut Down Their Own Newspaper for its Black Lives Matter Critique
Date: 9/22/2015
Source: Boston.com
University of Kansas Can’t Expel Student Over Tweets, Kansas Court of Appeals Rules
Date: 9/25/2015
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
Students Pack ASD School Board Meeting in Protest
Date: 9/24/2015
Source: WFMZ – Allentown
Student Expelled for Refusing Drug Test Ordered Reinstated
Date: 9/20/2015
Source: Philadelphia Enquirer
Florida Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committees Pass Bill Allowing Guns on Campus
Date: 9/16/2015
Source: Tampa Bay Times
Dixie State Settles Free Speech Lawsuit
Date: 9/18/2015
Source: St. George, UT News
University of California Goes Back to the Drawing Board on Controversial Revamp of Free-Speech Policy
Date: 9/17/2015
Source: Los Angeles Times
Dorm Room Search that Found Drugs Didn’t Violate College Student’s Privacy Rights, Pennsylvania Court Rules
Date: 9/92015
Source: Harrisburg Patriot-News
Massachusetts Considers Mandatory Drug Screenings for Students
Date: 9/11/2015
Source: WWLP – Western Massachusetts
Date: 9/12/2015
Source: International Business Times
New State Laws Seek to Clarify, Expand Student Rights
Date: 8/29/2015
Source: The Illinois News Network
Rep. Jared Polis: Expel All College Students Accused of Sexual Assault
Date: 9/10/2015
Source: KUSA – Denver
University of Missouri Graduate Student Employees Consider Unionizing, Plan Awareness Efforts
Date: 9/5/2015
Source: The Columbia Daily Tribune
Norristown Area High School students Stage Walkout in Protest of Alleged Racist Post by School Employee
Date: 04/07/15
Source: The Times Herald
Supreme Court May Hear Case on School Barring American Flag Shirts on Cinco de Mayo
Date: 03/29/15
Source: LA Times
Supreme Court Sides with Franklin Township in Busing Fight
Date: 03/24/15
Source: WTHR 13 Indianapolis
New Jersey Student Wins Court Case to Keep ‘Under God’ in Pledge of Allegiance
Date: 02/06/15
Source: Fox News
Oberlin College Denies Request to Suspend Failing Grades to Give Relief to Students Who Demonstrated
Date: 12/16/14
Source: Cleveland.com
Dearborn Heights Honor Student Suspended Rest of School Year for Knife
Date: 10/13/14
Source: ClickonDetroit.com
Madison County Schools Sued After Disciplining Student Over Nude Photo
Date: 9/23/14
Source: The Clarion-Ledger
Students in Tottenville Protest High School’s Strict New Dress Code
Date: 9/15/14
Source: ABC 7 New York
Officials Want 12 Scotlandville Magnet High Students Expelled for Fighting
Date: 9/9/14
Source: WAFB Baton Rouge
New Jersey Parents And Students Boycott First Day Of School
Date: 9/5/14
Source: Huffington Post
Dress-code flap: Does embarrassing students with ‘shame suit’ violate their rights?
Date: 9/5/14
Source: Yahoo News
Parents: Colerain students expelled due to race
Date: 9/3/14
Source: Cincinnati.com
Prayer at football games sparks controversy in Apopka
Date: 8/29/14
Source: MyNews13.com