That Pesky First Amendment

School officials in Wilmette have suspended students for a web site that was developed apparently away from school. I believe Eric Zorn has brought up this issue previously and it is one that concerns me as well. If the behavior did not involve school equipment in the creation of the site, the students should be eligible for civil suits for the content, but the school has no business being involved. The school cites the site as being disruptive, but so could a site attacking the due process of a school’s judicial code. Disruptive can often be a good thing in schools that often value conformity over democratic criticism.

Now, the students involved appear to be insensitive jerks who deserve whatever punishment their parents dream up and certainly have opened themselves up to a libel lawsuit and perhaps a harrassment charge, but the school’s role in this, as reported is inappropriate.