All articles tagged with #student rights
Student protests over education funding have spread from France to Belgium, Italy, and other EU nations. While France faces violent clashes and thousands of arrests, Belgian students in Liège and Brussels are protesting specific tuition hikes and budget cuts. The unrest highlights a broader European tension between rising education costs and government fiscal constraints.
The Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving Michigan middle school students barred from wearing 'Let's Go Brandon' sweatshirts, leaving a lower court ruling in place that allows schools to ban speech with vulgar double meanings. The decision avoids clarifying the boundary between protected political speech and prohibited profanity in schools.
Columbia University agreed to pay $9 million to settle a lawsuit claiming it submitted false data to improve its US News college ranking, which it used to attract students and charge higher tuition. The university admitted to reporting deficiencies and now provides more accurate data, while the lawsuit covers around 22,000 students from 2016 to 2022.
Los Angeles public schools have implemented a security plan to protect students and families from immigration enforcement during graduation ceremonies, including establishing safety perimeters, monitoring school areas, and providing virtual viewing options, to ensure a safe and fear-free environment for all students, regardless of immigration status.
The Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving a Massachusetts student who was prohibited from wearing a T-shirt stating 'There Are Only Two Genders,' upholding lower court rulings that allowed school administrators to restrict student speech to prevent disruption and protect other students' rights. Justice Alito dissented, emphasizing the importance of clear protections for student free speech rights. The case highlights ongoing debates over transgender issues and free expression in schools.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving a student, Liam Morrison, who was barred from wearing a T-shirt stating 'There are only two genders' at his middle school, ruling that the school's decision did not violate the First Amendment. The case highlighted tensions between free speech rights and concerns over the impact on transgender students, with lower courts upholding the school's dress code restrictions.
The Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving a middle-school student's right to wear a T-shirt stating 'there are only two genders,' upholding the school's authority to enforce dress codes aimed at preventing hate speech and bullying, with mixed opinions among justices on free speech rights in schools.
Brittany Lovely, a pregnant law student at Georgetown University, faced challenges when her request to reschedule exams due to her due date was initially denied. Despite proposing alternatives through a Title IX official, her requests were rejected, citing the university's honor code. After her friends launched a petition garnering over 7,000 signatures, the university eventually offered an additional deferral date in January. Lovely hopes for policy changes to better support pregnant students in the future.
Georgetown University faced backlash after initially denying a pregnant law student, Brittany Lovely, accommodations for her exam schedule. Following public outcry and a petition, the university reversed its decision, allowing Lovely to take her exam early or defer it. However, Lovely and fellow students argue that Georgetown's policies on accommodations remain inadequate and call for broader reforms to ensure fair treatment for all students needing academic adjustments. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the university's approach to disability and pregnancy-related accommodations.
A student was sent home from school for wearing an outfit deemed 'too distracting,' sparking a debate over dress codes and their impact on student rights and gender equality.
The University of Maryland has lifted restrictions on fraternities and sororities after two weeks, but is still investigating five fraternities and individual members for ongoing concerns, including hazing. Students have sued the school, claiming violations of their civil liberties, and a national coalition has backed the lawsuit. The university's actions were prompted by reports of misconduct and aimed at prioritizing safety and prevention. The school's multicultural Greek organizations and historically Black fraternities and sororities were not included in the restrictions, and 32 of the 37 groups under investigation have been allowed to resume activities.
A Black student at Barbers Hill High School in Texas has been punished for months for wearing long locs, leading to a legal standoff with school officials. The student and his mother argue that the school's dress code violates the CROWN Act, a new state law prohibiting discrimination based on hairstyles. A trial is set to determine whether the district's policy violates the CROWN Act, with the student's hairstyle being at the center of the dispute. The case has reignited a fight over hair discrimination in Texas and drawn attention to similar issues in other school districts across the state.
School dress codes, particularly those regulating hairstyles, have become a flashpoint for racial discrimination, with many Black students feeling targeted. While administrators argue that dress codes promote discipline and uniformity, advocates argue that they disproportionately affect students of color and disrupt learning. The Government Accountability Office has called for more equitable dress codes, citing higher rates of punishment in schools with strict dress codes. The trial in Texas to determine whether a high school's dress code violates the CROWN Act is expected to set a precedent in a state where several districts have similar policies.
A Texas school district is facing a trial over its punishment of a Black teen for refusing to change his dreadlocks, which the district claims violates its dress code. The teen's family argues that the punishment violates the state's CROWN Act, which prohibits race-based hair discrimination. The trial, scheduled for Thursday, will determine whether the district's policy is in violation of the law. This is not the first time the district has faced controversy over its hair policies, and the family is hopeful for a positive outcome that will allow the teen to return to school without facing discrimination.
Schools across the US are using surveillance technology, including vape sensors, to crack down on student vaping, often without informing students. A student caught vaping faced harsh punishments, including being sent to an alternative school for 30 days and being told she could have faced criminal charges. The sensors, which can cost over $1,000 each, have been marketed as tools to fight the virus by checking air quality. Some students have faced misdemeanor or felony charges, and the use of such technology has raised privacy concerns. Despite efforts to curb vaping, students have found ways to outsmart the sensors, and some schools are implementing prevention strategies that include educational videos and tip lines.