WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON OFFICER WESLEY CHEEKS?
- Thread starter Sydal
- Start date
You're absolutely right...I have no idea what I'm talking about. I've never studied law or anything.
"Generally speaking, administrators may restrict access to public school property. However, if they open the school facilities to some nonstudents, they cannot keep others out because of their ideals. For example, a Louisiana school district adopted a policy allowing private organizations to use school facilities during nonschool hours. The Ku Klux Klan sued after its request to hold a meeting at one of the schools was refused. The court ruled that by opening its doors to some groups, the school district was obligated to leave them open to other groups9. In a similar situation in Boston, a school district that allowed a group to circulate anti-busing literature was required to let a pro-busing group circulate literature as well10.
In general school administrators do not allow nonstudents to distribute literature, hold rallies, or engage in any other form of expressive activity on school grounds. However, picketing or leafleting near school grounds (for example, the public sidewalk in front of the school) is constitutionally protected."
And there you go. If school property is open to non-students (in this case, it was a town hall meeting and non-students were present), then it has to be open to non-students that were there to participate, AND that were there to protest. Now, if people were picketing FOR healthcare, and pro-Obama, this man had every right to do what he was doing in the same location. Since there WERE other people there with similar signs that were allowed to stay, the cop had no right to tell anybody to leave or remove their signs from public view.
Furthermore, a public official cannot silence anybody if he/she does not agree with the method or propaganda (as long is it does not INTERFERE with other activities such as walking or driving, or threaten the safety of others). If this man was on the sidewalk in FRONT of the school, but not actually on school grounds, then his rights are even stronger. If the school administration did not ban non-students from being on school property during non-school hours for this event, then he was within his rights to be anywhere on that campus with any message going for or against what was being talked about that night.
But you're right, I have no argument...no idea what I'm talking about.
"Generally speaking, administrators may restrict access to public school property. However, if they open the school facilities to some nonstudents, they cannot keep others out because of their ideals. For example, a Louisiana school district adopted a policy allowing private organizations to use school facilities during nonschool hours. The Ku Klux Klan sued after its request to hold a meeting at one of the schools was refused. The court ruled that by opening its doors to some groups, the school district was obligated to leave them open to other groups9. In a similar situation in Boston, a school district that allowed a group to circulate anti-busing literature was required to let a pro-busing group circulate literature as well10.
In general school administrators do not allow nonstudents to distribute literature, hold rallies, or engage in any other form of expressive activity on school grounds. However, picketing or leafleting near school grounds (for example, the public sidewalk in front of the school) is constitutionally protected."
And there you go. If school property is open to non-students (in this case, it was a town hall meeting and non-students were present), then it has to be open to non-students that were there to participate, AND that were there to protest. Now, if people were picketing FOR healthcare, and pro-Obama, this man had every right to do what he was doing in the same location. Since there WERE other people there with similar signs that were allowed to stay, the cop had no right to tell anybody to leave or remove their signs from public view.
Furthermore, a public official cannot silence anybody if he/she does not agree with the method or propaganda (as long is it does not INTERFERE with other activities such as walking or driving, or threaten the safety of others). If this man was on the sidewalk in FRONT of the school, but not actually on school grounds, then his rights are even stronger. If the school administration did not ban non-students from being on school property during non-school hours for this event, then he was within his rights to be anywhere on that campus with any message going for or against what was being talked about that night.
But you're right, I have no argument...no idea what I'm talking about.