Local Principal Thinks Supreme Court Decision on Student Speech ‘Muddies the Waters’ for Future Cases

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Bill Ziegler, principal at Pottsgrove High School, believes that last week’s decision by the Supreme Court on student speech will complicate how he and other school leaders across the country will handle situations involving off-campus speech, write Yoree Koh and Ray A. Smith for The Wall Street Journal.

In an 8-1 ruling, the court deemed that Pennsylvania’s Mahanoy Area School District overstepped its authority by punishing Brandi Levy, a high school student who used vulgarity on Snapchat when she was removed from the varsity cheerleading team.

However, the then-14-year-old student created the post on her own phone while off campus.

While the decision makes some things clearer for schools, allowing them to punish bullying, cheating, harassment, or threats; it still does not address the vast gray area of off-campus speech that does not rise to those levels but is still capable of impacting the school.

“I think this will change the lens in the way principals see the speech of students,” said Ziegler. “I think it muddies the waters and leaves room for future cases to bring clarity.”

Read more about the case in The Wall Street Journal.

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