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Student Speech and Discipline

Student speech and discipline describes what students can say and do at school and how schools may respond. It involves the First Amendment, school rules, and the authority of teachers and administrators. Courts, school boards, and families all weigh in on where the line falls.

People usually bring questions about what students may say in class, on campus, and online. They ask how prayer and religion are treated in public schools, when a school may punish speech, and what process a student is owed. They also ask how the speech of teachers and other school staff fits in.

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October 3last updated

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All Articles on Student Speech and Discipline

What Is the Parents’ Bill of Rights Movement?

A political movement centered on a "Parents' Bill of Rights" has emerged as a defining feature of American education. This socially conservative movement aims…

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Student Free Speech Rights: What They Can and Cannot Say in Public Schools

Public school students have speech rights, with limits for disruption, school publications and online harm. Colleges, private schools and teachers differ.

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Prayer in Schools and “In God We Trust”: Where Religion Meets Government

The First Amendment opens with sixteen words that created America's approach to religious freedom: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,…

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Religion and Prayer in Public Schools: Understanding Student Rights

The intersection of religion, prayer, and public education in the United States is an area frequently subject to discussion and misunderstanding. The First Amendment…

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