Students’ Rights Handbook A Guide for Public School Students in Louisiana Second Edition, Revised & Updated 2015 Created by the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Louisiana 1 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 4 Dedication ................................................................................................................................................................ 4 What is the ACLU? ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Disclaimer ................................................................................................................................................................ 4 A Note on the Court System ............................................................................................................................. 5 A Note on Legal Citations .................................................................................................................................. 6 AcKnowledgments ................................................................................................................................................ 7 THE RIGHT TO A PUBLIC EDUCATION .............................................................................. 8 May My School Place Limits and Restrictions On My Constitutional Rights? ............................ 8 Do I Have the Right to a Free Public Education? ..................................................................................... 9 May My School Charge Me for BooKs & Supplies? .................................................................................. 9 Who Runs the Public Schools? ........................................................................................................................ 9 What Are Charter Schools? ............................................................................................................................ 10 Who Is Required to Attend School? ........................................................................................................... 11 May My School Keep Out Homeless Children? ..................................................................................... 13 Must My School Provide for Special Education Needs? .................................................................... 13 DISCIPLINE .............................................................................................................................. 14 What Kind of Discipline is Allowed in School? ..................................................................................... 14 Generally ................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Illegal Drugs ......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Firearms ................................................................................................................................................................. 15 When May the School Suspend or Expel a Student? ........................................................................... 16 Procedural Requirements ............................................................................................................................... 16 Readmission ......................................................................................................................................................... 16 Disability ................................................................................................................................................................ 17 What Are Alternative Education Programs? .......................................................................................... 17 May My School TaKe Away My Driver’s License? ................................................................................ 18 Is Physical (Corporal) Punishment Allowed? ........................................................................................ 18 FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ................................................................................................ 19 Do I Have Free Speech Rights in School? ................................................................................................. 19 May My School Newspaper Be Censored? .............................................................................................. 21 May My School Punish Me For JoKing About School Violence? ..................................................... 22 May My School Tell Me What to Wear? .................................................................................................... 23 May My School MaKe Me Say the Pledge of Allegiance? ................................................................... 23 CLUBS & ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................................ 24 May My School Limit Which Clubs Meet At School? ........................................................................... 24 LIBRARY & CLASSROOM BOOKS ...................................................................................... 25 May My School Restrict Library and Classroom BooKs? .................................................................. 25 INTERNET USE ....................................................................................................................... 26 May My School Limit My Internet Use On Campus? ........................................................................... 26 May My School Limit My Internet Use Off Campus? ........................................................................... 26 RELIGION ................................................................................................................................. 28 1 Do I have Religious Freedom in School? .................................................................................................. 28 May I Say a Private, Silent Prayer in School? ......................................................................................... 29 May a School Official Lead or Sponsor Prayer in Schools? .............................................................. 29 May I Lead Other Students in Prayer? ...................................................................................................... 30 Do the Words “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance Violate the First Amendment? ..... 31 May a School Teach Biblical Creationism? .............................................................................................. 31 Must School Officials Protect Me From Religious Harassment At School? ............................... 32 May I Celebrate Religious Holidays at School? ..................................................................................... 32 May Religious Music Be Played At School? ............................................................................................. 34 May We Receive Religious-Based Assignments? ................................................................................. 34 May Students Distribute Religious Literature? .................................................................................... 35 Are “See You at the Pole” Student Groups Permissible? ................................................................... 35 May Students Be Excused from Religiously Objectionable Lessons? .......................................... 36 May Students Wear Religious Garb? ......................................................................................................... 36 May Students Be Released from School to Attend Off-Premises Religion Instruction? ...... 36 May Schools Teach Religious Values? ....................................................................................................... 36 SEARCH & SEIZURE ............................................................................................................... 36 What Are My Rights Regarding Searches in School? .......................................................................... 36 Does a Principal Or Teacher Need a Warrant to Search Me? ......................................................... 37 May I Be Strip Searched? ................................................................................................................................ 38 May My School Search An Entire Class or Group to Find One Suspect? .................................... 38 Do I Have To Agree to a Search By School Officials? .......................................................................... 38 May Evidence Found in an Illegal Search Be Used Against Me? .................................................... 39 Are LocKers Private? ........................................................................................................................................ 39 May My School Use Metal Detectors? ....................................................................................................... 40 Other Encounters with the Police .............................................................................................................. 41 DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING ........................................................................................