Parent Steve Deal was not pleased with the districts decision to reinstate the mask mandate and took part in the protest. Brandon Fragger stood on the porch of the restaurant where he works watching the smoke roll down Lincoln Street from where several cars burned. How are we doing? L\TB|[Uy0d\soYZHqM@O g@eZeW^&kl#*Q_XJnT03#! Parents frustration has been shared at school board meetings throughout the county this month, with some parents arguing against restrictions and school leaders sticking to recommendations from state leaders, public health experts and the scientific consensus. As night fell and curfews were enacted, tensions intensified and reached a violent crescendo in the downtowns of two of South Carolinas largest cities. And in Fort Worth, Texas, pro-mask parents held a mock funeral procession to the home of the president of the school board, where they protested against her decision not to hold a vote on a mask mandate. People demonstrate against mask mandates at a Cobb county, Georgia, school board meeting last week. Students should not be disciplined for engaging in the act of protest. Each state has its own form of protest laws designed to spell out the demonstration permit process and provide criminal penalties for violations of peaceful protest laws. 0000003685 00000 n Legally reviewed by Kellie Pantekoek, Esq. 13A-11-5, Alabama Code Title 13A. School board members are typically unpaid community members who get involved to try to improve their local schools, Slaven noted. Yet along with that right, the government can place reasonable restrictions on your speech activities known as time, place, and manner restrictions. You have permission to edit this article. "Its not going to look good when the sun comes up tomorrow in our city," he said in a hastily called City Council meeting to impose the curfew. While Floyd's death is just the latest to grip national headlines, organizers said the event was not just in remembrance of him but all victims of police brutality and racial violence, from Mike Brown to Eric Garner. District communication director Wes Anderson said Voelz went over new protocols and procedures because of the new mask mandate and was only presenting students with options available so they could avoid contact tracing and being quarantined. While some parents honked in support of the protest, another yelled out, Youre better than this! when dropping of their child, indicating their disapproval. This is an area of the law that is changing a great deal right now. 0000000016 00000 n One such example is requiring you to have a demonstration permit before a large group assembles to march down a major public street or when a gathering of protesters agree to march on Washington D.C. during a contentious presidential inauguration. The anti-mask school board protests in August follow a wave of protests and heated debates about critical race theory (CRT) that consumed state legislatures and local school board meetings in May and June. Mayor Steve Benjamin imposed a curfew in Columbia effective at 6 p.m. Saturday to help calm the situation. Protesters march in CharlestonSaturday, marching to decry the killing of a black man at the hands of Minneapolis police. 0:57. You have the right to speak out, hand out flyers and petitions, and wear expressive clothing in school as long as you dont disrupt the functioning of the school or violate school policies that dont hinge on the message expressed. Your school may expel you only for conduct on school grounds or at a school related activity off school grounds. This landmark Supreme Court case centered on a teacher who had been fired from his position for writing a newspaper article criticizing his employer. All rights reserved. The protest Monday morning was the latest manifestation of frustration by parents angered over what they perceive as inconsistent and draconian measures to thwart the spread of COVID-19 in the schools. Contact an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching. They are generally elected in non-partisan elections and oversee issues such as the budget and districts. The penalty for a first conviction is a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment.[5]. They didnt even ask for the parents thoughts on any of this.. The Peoples Solidarity Society organized a gathering at Marion Square, which quickly turned into a march down King Street. Pupils of secondary school The Farnley Academy, in Chapel Lane, have been standing outside this morning (February 24). Nearly as many law enforcement officers were on the scene as parents to make sure the protest which also ended with the group holding hands and praying didnt get out of hand. Gavin McIntyre/Staff. ), in a non-disruptive manner, their concerns related to, for example, the Governors proposed vaccination mandate for students. Earlier this month, the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, threatened to withhold the salaries of school board members who defied his ban on mask mandates in schools, though he later acknowledged that he lacked the legal authority to do so. Also curtails a college's ability to make rules about what types of speakers can come to campus by limiting decisions to "only content-neutral and viewpoint-neutral criteria.". 0000006994 00000 n But amid fury over mask mandates, members face an unprecedented onslaught. Through our new Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative, well fight on behalf of those who face criminal prosecution related to abortion care. From Anchorage, Alaska, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, school board meetings have become the stage for the latest act in Americas culture wars over education, one with roots in the countrys deep racial and political divisions. Before this, a controversial school board meeting might be concern over hiring a superintendent, consolidating schools, or something related to the sports teams, he said. By FindLaw Staff | This news article describes a law passed in 2019 that affects a college's ability to regulate certain free speech actions as well as speakers who come to campus. Every time I turn on the TV, I watch a man as life leaves his body, he said. trailer Parents have slammed the school for 'taking away their children's dignity' as pupils protest over its toilet policy. After opening the protest with a prayer, the parents held up signs with messages such as trash the mask and no masks. The group wanted to encourage students entering the building to not comply with the mandate. Manage media attention. %%EOF This is wrong on so many levels, and we want the kids to know they have rights.. If students leave campus during the instructional day to demonstrate, then school staff should strongly consider not accompanying students off campus as this may result in the assumption of liability for actions that occur with the students off campus. (Critical race theory is a legal theory examining the ways racism is embedded in US law; it is not taught in secondary schools, but its name has been co-opted by opponents of progressive education reforms and diversity training.) xref 0000004897 00000 n Web(DFA)2-2d=01219DFA (9) DFA What are alternative schools? If the answer is yes, calmly and silently walk away from the officer. Dress codes also must be enforced equally. Several businesses were damaged when windows were broken through and at least one hotel's lower-level windows also were shattered by rocks. Learn more about how you can take action. Parents have slammed the school for 'taking away their children's dignity' as pupils protest over its toilet policy. This article from the First Amendment Encyclopedia, a project from the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, discusses teachers' rights to free speech and includes information on several relevant Supreme Court cases. Some links within this site may lead to other sites. 0:10. In different decades it would be subversive socialism and Elvis Presley. Criminal Code. Required fields are marked *. Some protesters tried to break into a jewelry store on Lincoln Street. We workwith communities to make sure people are informed about their rights. A native of Boston, he spent three years at the Greenwood Index-Journal and has won multiple South Carolina Press Association awards for his reporting. These schools are not allowed to punish a student who chooses to terminate a pregnancy or reveal a students private medical information. Most district policies on staff expression prohibit protest during the school day, regardless of how strongly the school official feels about the issue. Information about some common forms of protest are listed below. You should be given the same right to make up work just as any other student who missed classes. She can be reached at 317-477-3262 or, PARENTS PIQUE: Protest outside school shows displeasure with SHs new mask policy, Contact Us Fortville-McCordsville Reporter, Back in the saddle: Flat 50 bicycle ride returns, New Palestine driver dies in Shelby County accident, Crews adding finishing touches to new classrooms at NPHS, Assessment of damage indicates tornado did hit the county, The Carl Erskine Story: Special Olympics hosts movie night honoring baseball legend, 224 new tests administered (Dec. 3, 2020-Aug. 22, 2021), 9% seven-day (Aug. 10-16) positivity rate all tests, 8.7% cumulative rate, 12.4%seven-day (Aug. 10-16) positivity rate unique individuals, 19.2% cumulative rate, 40,027 age 12+ fully vaccinated (60.2% of that population), 21,257 new tests administered (April 17, 2020-Aug. 22, 2021), 6,114 new individuals tested, 10.8%seven-day (Aug. 10-16) positivity rate all tests, 8.4% cumulative rate, 18.8%seven-day (Aug. 10-16) positivity rate unique individuals, 21.6% cumulative rate, Hospital census: 1,857 total COVID-19 patients (1,550 confirmed, 307 under investigation), Not variant of concern: 2.1% of samples in August, 104 total confirmed cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, 3,053,439 age 12+ fully vaccinated (52.1% of that population), 9,922 breakthrough cases (0.327% of fully vaccinated individuals), 272 breakthrough hospitalizations (0.009% of fully vaccinated individuals), 83 breakthrough deaths (0.003% of fully vaccinated individuals). Its ours.. (317) 462-5528, Circulation: (812) 379-5602 | Classifieds: (317) 477-3243 | Advertising: (317) 477-3208 | Newsroom: (317) 477-3222, Kristy Deer is a reporter at the Greenfield Daily Reporter. 0000001740 00000 n Suspension is a form of school discipline which temporarily removes you from a class or from school. Alex Hursey and Mike Lewis chose to embrace it, with the Hartsville and Florence residents writing "I can't breathe across their masks. Our citizens have the right to be angry and the right to protest this unspeakable tragedy. Now, however, school board members are under attack in a number of ways, said Slaven, including by angry parents at meetings, threatening trolls online and politicized recall elections. This FAQ from the ACLU discusses common questions related to free speech on college campuses. Don't have a library account? A man emptied an extinguisher into the air before using it to shatter the windows of a civilian car and then a sheriff's SUV. Students transgender status and gender assigned at birth are confidential information protected by federal privacy law. 0000007507 00000 n scoello@postandcourier.com, I use my voice. Schools can have rules that have nothing to do with the message expressed, like dress codes. You also have the right to refuse to write or sign a statement. That said, as a reminder, we encourage schools to engage in a pre-meeting open dialogue with students, parents, employees, local law enforcement, and other relevant stake holders regarding appropriate free speech within the school environment and appropriate student protests. When the board reconvened for a special meeting on 16 August, law enforcement used handheld metal detectors to scan the audience, a first for a school board meeting in the district. 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