A coalition of seventeen education, religious, and civil liberties groups (including the National School Boards Association, American Association of School Administrators, National Council for the Social Studies, and National Association of State Boards of Education) recently released new guidelines aimed at helping public schools uphold the First Amendment while combating harassment and bullying.
“This guidance document, the product of months of collaboration among national organizations, will help public school officials balance the First Amendment rights of students and the student safety concerns associated with peer bullying and harassment,” said National School Boards Association General Counsel Francisco M. Negrón, Jr., in a prepared statement. “We hope that public schools will rely on it as they make on-the-ground decisions in this area. Public schools can be a shining example of a forum in which constitutional rights are respected and cherished, and where individual dignity and safety is guarded.”
According to the guidelines, “Harassment, Bullying and Free Expression: Guidelines for Free and Safe Public Schools,” students should be able to attend public schools where they are free to share their views and engage in discussions about religious and political differences while simultaneously attending safe schools that prohibit discrimination, bullying, and harassment.
To access a copy of the guidelines, please visit:
Media report:
Education Week: Groups Urge Balance Between Censoring, Stopping Bullies (22 MAY 12)
Background information:
Religious Freedom Education Project/First Amendment Center
National School Boards Association
American Association of School Administrators
ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)
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