The federal privacy regime governing student records is badly broken, perhaps beyond repair.Schools and colleges don't understand -- or choose not to understand -- where legitimate student privacy interests end and where the public's interest in disclosure begins, and too often reject journalists' valid information requests by raising bogus confidentiality claims.
News
Police seize riot photos from James Madison University student paper
Harrisonburg Police officers and the Commonwealth's Attorney for Rockingham County, Va. executed a search warrant in the newsroom of the James Madison University student newspaper April 16, seizing photographs of a recent riot near campus.
The Breeze's Editor-in-Chief Katie Thisdell said she received a call from the office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for Rockingham County on Thursday asking for photographs of the April 10 "Springfest" rioting.
Wash. jury finds paper’s oral sex articles did not invade students’ privacy
A Pierce County, Wash., jury found in favor of the Puyallup School District April 21, establishing that the school's 2008 student newspaper article about students' sexual practices and histories was not a violation of those students' privacy.
In 2008, four students filed suit against the school district, claiming they had not consented to the JagWire printing their names and "private details." The February 2008 issue included information about named students' sexual experiences, including intercourse and oral sex.
SPLC View: This case posed
Old issue, new ruling – whew, it’s (still!) legal to wear a protest armband to school
Yes, it’s true that in 1969 — more than four decades ago — the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of Iowa junior high school student Mary Beth Tinker to wear a black armband to school to silently protest the Vietnam War.
Photojournalist detained while covering escape of angry cows on OSU campus
A student photojournalist wasbriefly detained by university police last week while covering the escape of twocows on Ohio State University's campus.
Court restores Va. ban on alcohol ads in college newspapers
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 this month that the Virginia regulation that prohibits college publications from printing alcohol advertisements does not violate the students' First Amendment rights.
Md. shield law now includes protection for college student journalists
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a billupdating the state's shield law April 13, extending reporter'sprivilege to student journalists working in the state.
Conflicting online speech rulings vacated, will be heard by full Third Circuit
The 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Pennsylvania ordered April 9 that the seemingly conflicting rulings in two student online speech cases be vacated and heard by the full court in June.
Cases: Layshock v.
Virginia AG: No First Amendment concern in police raid of JMU Breeze newsroom
After being shown support from local and national news outlets in the form of extensive coverage and editorials, The Breeze newspaper at James Madison University learned Friday that it does not have the support of Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.The Breeze website quotes Cuccinelli’s statement, saying he fully supports Rockingham Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst’s actions on April 16, when she, along with several Harrisonburg Police officers, executed a search warrant in the newsroom of the Breeze.“I support any and all legal means to gather information to build a case against people who allegedly harmed or intended to harm law enforcement officers,” Cuccinelli said, according to the Breeze website.The search warrant was for pictures the Breeze had of a recent riot near the JMU campus.
Ky. attorney general orders university to release correspondence records
Northern KentuckyUniversity's student newspaper, The Northerner, is in a 30-daywaiting period to find out whether the school will respond to an open recordsrequest, as ordered by the Kentucky Attorney General, or appeal to the CampbellCounty Circuit Court.