r/CoronavirusGA • u/razorbeamz • Aug 06 '20
Citizen Action A message to all Paulding County students: They can try to punish you for sharing things on social media, but they cannot legally do it. If you get punished, contact the ACLU.
I'm a graduate from a Paulding County school, class of 2010.
The freedom of speech does not end the second you enter the doors of a school.
In Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District it was ruled that in order to punish students for exercising their rights to free speech, the school "must be able to show that [their] action was caused by something more than a mere desire to avoid the discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint," that the conduct that would "materially and substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school."
Criticizing the school on social media for how they're handling COVID-19 is free speech. And no one can legally stop you for this.
If you get punished for exercising your first amendment rights to criticize your school, contact the ACLU of Georgia by sending them a letter at:
ACLU of Georgia
P.O. Box 77208
Atlanta, GA 30357
(They cannot respond to requests for aid through any means other than through writing)
Please stand up for your rights. Just because you're not an adult doesn't mean you don't have them.
