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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Officials from the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama said on Friday that a school district's plan to use students' social media posts to justify disciplinary action or expulsion raises serious First Amendment concerns.
Multiple media outlets reported that the Huntsville City Schools system last week updated safety guidelines to say the superintendent may review students' public social media accounts if they have a history of violence or gang activity, or if their behavior endangers students and employees.
Superintendent Casey Wardynski said during a board meeting on Wednesday that students may be — and have been — expelled for violating the district's code of conduct, which includes posting videos of student fights online according to Al.com (http://bit.ly/1pqxMQ9 ). The move comes after videos of student fights that were posted online gained widespread attention.
"And we will continue to expel them," Wardynski said. "They're destroying the value of the schools, they're bringing threats into the schools, they're disrupting education, and they're destroying the property value for homeowners who don't even have kids in the schools," Al.com quoted Wardynski as saying.
The school's code of conduct also says students who violate the guidelines may also be prohibited from bringing "non-school system technology" into school buildings.
Aside from First Amendment concerns, the district's policy could also disproportionately impact minority students, Executive Director of the ACLU's Alabama branch Susan Watson said in a statement.
"When a school district starts seeking out students' comments/posts that are created on their own time and outside of the school, and then punishes students for their speech, we should all be concerned," Watson said. "The ACLU would be interested in talking with students who are adversely affected by this new policy."
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