Jonathan Peters, law professor and Columbia Journalism Review correspondent, joins Student Press Law Center Executive Director Frank LoMonte to discuss the impact of several recent Supreme Court decisions on students and student journalists.Frank LoMonte: Welcome to the Student Press Law Center podcast, a monthly rundown of developments of interest for the folks working in student… Continue reading June 2014 podcast: Several recent Supreme Court decisions could have impact on student journalists
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New Jersey journalism adviser resigns from position after censorship controversy
The adviser of a New Jersey student newspaper, whose student editor fought censorship for the past three months, has resigned from his position.
University of Central Florida lawfully withheld records requested by student reporters
The University of Central Florida correctly withheld records that were protected by a federal education privacy law, a judge ruled this week in a public records lawsuit brought by student journalists at the university.
Neshaminy school board passes new policies limiting student publications and school-related social media rights
Student editors say they will continue to challenge publication and social media policies approved Thursday by the Neshaminy School Board.
Neshaminy school board puts revised publication and social media policies on voting agenda for tomorrow’s meeting
The Neshaminy school board will vote Thursday on whether to change the publication policies of The Playwickian, the student newspaper at the high school.
New Jersey adviser removed from position as principal recommends cutting journalism class entirely
Students at a New Jersey high school may return to school next fall to find their journalism classes no longer exists after the school's principal did not recommend the renewal of the journalism and advanced journalism courses for the fall semester.
Supreme Court cellphone-search ruling sends a cautionary message to schools
In a 9-0 ruling that will reverberate in the nation's schoolhouses, the Supreme Court decided Wednesday that police can't automatically search the contents of a motorist's cellphone just because they arrest him.
Georgia State couldn't be sued for walking away from WRAS deal with GPB
One story we've been following very closely here is the controversy surrounding the fate of Georgia State University's student-run radio station. After negotiating for years in secret, Georgia State University entered into an agreement (let's not use the word contract, just yet) with Georgia Public Broadcasting to give the latter organization 14 hours of daytime analog signal, depriving WRAS students of an educational opportunity and the community of a 42-year tradition of original music.
Appeals court upholds judge’s decision to toughen Miami student's probation after interview with student newspaper
In retrospect, a Miami student’s interview with a reporter — in which he described his threat to kill the president as “pretty funny” — was ill-advised, considering he’d expressed remorse to a judge only a month earlier at a probation hearing.
The resulting newspaper article in The Reporter, the Miami Dade College’s student newspaper, prompted a judge to toughen Joaquin Serrapio’s probation because “the original conditions were not sufficient to accomplish the purposes of probation.” The modifications included eight more months in home confinement and 45 days in a halfway house.
Serrapio appealed the increased sanctions because he believed “that these modifications violated his rights under the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment, the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment and the First Amendment.” In a ruling handed down last week though, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s modified probation as constitutional.
Teachers, professors can speak more confidently after Supreme Court protects whistleblower's rights
The Supreme Court has taken a step -- whether it's a giant step or a baby step is yet to be seen -- toward restoring sensible First Amendment protection for teachers, professors and other government employees who blow the whistle on wrongdoing they learn about on the job.
Thursday's 9-0 ruling in Lane v. Franks protects government workers against firing, demotion or other retaliatory action for speech addressing matters of public concern, even if those matters relate to the speakers' work responsibilities.
Edward Lane brought the case after he was fired from Central Alabama Community College in 2009, a decision that suspiciously followed his testimony that helped convict an Alabama state legislator of defrauding the taxpayers for holding down a no-show "job" in Lane's department at CACC.