MySpace censorship gets a little tricky when it begins to enter the school atmosphere. When does the schools influence come into play and when does it infringe on the students rights to free speech? I think that one of the leading problems with the MySpace controversy and schools has to do with free speech. Students believe that schools are infringing on their freedom of speech when the schools punish them for what they say or post on their MySpace pages. This article, while does not directly deal with MySpace, I do think that it does a good job of explaining where free speech starts and where it stops in the school.
Robert Johnson wrote this article in response to an incident that occurred at Princeton High School. The principal of the school removed a students article from the school’s magazine because the article was critical of the school’s football team. School administrators were accused of censorship and were not allowing the student his right of free speech. In response to this Johnson writes,
In the midst of all of this fustigation, a critical conceptual element was not mentioned: property rights. It is their right to property that allows them to determine what goes into the magazine and what does not. In this case, the school board’s property rights were properly exercised.
I completely agree with what Johnson says. Students obviously have the right to free speech, but that right is only secondary to the schools property rights. The school provides the means to keep the magazine running and because of this the school gets to decide what is allowed in the magazine and what is not. If the student does not like it, then go print the article somewhere else. The school does not stop the student from writing what he wants, just where the student is printing it.
The right of free speech means that individuals have the right to express their ideas without danger of suppression, interference, or punitive action by the government. It does not mean that others must provide them with the actual means through which to express their ideas.
When students use the schools resources to express their ideas that is when the school is allowed to step in and infringe on the students freedom of speech.
School’s rights trump free speech
February 21, 2007 at 2:25 pm
by Robert Johnson
Education is must for everyone thanks for free education.