No. 20-255 IN THE Supreme Court of the United States MAHANOY AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT, Petitioner, v. B.L., A MINOR, BY AND THROUGH HER FATHER LAWRENCE LEVY AND HER MOTHER BETTY LOU LEVY, Respondents. On Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit BRIEF OF SCHOOL DISCIPLINE PROFESSORS AS AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS GABRIEL ROTTMAN RICHARD W. MARK JENNIFER A. NELSON Counsel of Record IAN C. KALISH ANNE CHAMPION THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA LEE R. CRAIN SCHOOL OF LAW AMANDA L. LESAVAGE FIRST AMENDMENT CLINIC GIBSON, DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP 580 Massie Road 200 Park Avenue Charlottesville, VA 22903 New York, NY 10166 (434) 924-7354 (212) 351-3818
[email protected] Counsel for Amici Curiae i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE ................................ 1 INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT ......................................................... 1 ARGUMENT ............................................................... 5 I. Punitive Approaches To Bullying Are Ineffective And Harmful To Students. .......... 5 A. Punishment-Based Policies Do Not Alleviate Bullying or Harassment in Schools. ................................................. 5 B. Punishing Students For Speech Actively Harms Their Educational Experiences and Long-Term Prospects. ....................... 9 1. Zero-Tolerance Systems Adversely Affect Students’ Educational Experiences and Make Children More Likely to Struggle Long Term. ........ 10 2. Using Exclusionary Anti-Bullying Policies Disproportionately Harms Students