Anyone know anything about free speech laws?

EndlessChris

EndlessChris

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I was just informed that I will be given a three day suspension at my high school after an incident at an after school talent show, where I performed an original rap song which included the words

"Ethenol"
"Retarded"
and worst of all, made a reference to a classmate Chris Brooks, who was recently charged with armed robbery.

I'm pretty sure my freedom of speech is being infringed upon, but you know how hard it is to fight a school, where nothing is based on actual law.

So what do I do? Their arguement is that we weren't allowed to change the lyrics from what was on our lyric sheet. But I told them the lyric sheet wasn't finished when they took it from me and they never asked for a revised one. They did ask me to take out adderol, which I replaced with ethenol, but I refused to take out retarded. However they had a problem with neither "ethenol" nor "retarded" during the audition, both were said clearly and I was given no warning. Also during the audition I substituted Mel Brooks for Chris Brooks, knowing they'd throw a fit if I didn't. But the rap itself didn't have a single swear.

I tried calling the ACLU but they close at 5. I can contest the suspension but I'm gonna need some law to back me up. Please help me.
 
[quote name='EndlessChris']Their arguement is that we weren't allowed to change the lyrics from what was on our lyric sheet.[/QUOTE]

You're boned. It's like when the police pull you over for "swerving a little" in the lane. It's just a BS excuse to pull you over and to give you a look.

Technically they could've suspended you if you changed the word "his" to "her". The reason they gave covers their ass.

You got no case.
 
[quote name='EndlessChris']I was just informed that I will be given a three day suspension at my high school after an incident at an after school talent show, where I performed an original rap song which included the words

"Ethenol"
"Retarded"
and worst of all, made a reference to a classmate Chris Brooks, who was recently charged with armed robbery.

I'm pretty sure my freedom of speech is being infringed upon, but you know how hard it is to fight a school, where nothing is based on actual law.

So what do I do? Their arguement is that we weren't allowed to change the lyrics from what was on our lyric sheet. But I told them the lyric sheet wasn't finished when they took it from me and they never asked for a revised one. They did ask me to take out adderol, which I replaced with ethenol, but I refused to take out retarded. However they had a problem with neither "ethenol" nor "retarded" during the audition, both were said clearly and I was given no warning. Also during the audition I substituted Mel Brooks for Chris Brooks, knowing they'd throw a fit if I didn't. But the rap itself didn't have a single swear.

I tried calling the ACLU but they close at 5. I can contest the suspension but I'm gonna need some law to back me up. Please help me.[/QUOTE]

If you fight something like this and put the fact that you fought in on a college app, the guys like you. They think stuff like this builds character.
 
You have no first amendment rights in school. Well, that's not entirely true.... you have limited first amendment rights in school and they were not violated.
 
Unfortunately, you pretty much have no freedom of speech when you're in school. The argument that the courts have found in favor of in the past and has therefore set the precedent is that students have to be kept safe by the school's administration, and for some odd reason they consider curbing free speech a means of doing so. Their objections seem rather absurd, but they would undoubtedly win if you tried to take it to court.
 
[quote name='EndlessChris']I was just informed that I will be given a three day suspension at my high school after an incident at an after school talent show, where I performed an original rap song which included the words

"Ethenol"
"Retarded"
and worst of all, made a reference to a classmate Chris Brooks, who was recently charged with armed robbery.

I'm pretty sure my freedom of speech is being infringed upon, but you know how hard it is to fight a school, where nothing is based on actual law.

So what do I do? Their arguement is that we weren't allowed to change the lyrics from what was on our lyric sheet. But I told them the lyric sheet wasn't finished when they took it from me and they never asked for a revised one. They did ask me to take out adderol, which I replaced with ethenol, but I refused to take out retarded. However they had a problem with neither "ethenol" nor "retarded" during the audition, both were said clearly and I was given no warning. Also during the audition I substituted Mel Brooks for Chris Brooks, knowing they'd throw a fit if I didn't. But the rap itself didn't have a single swear.

I tried calling the ACLU but they close at 5. I can contest the suspension but I'm gonna need some law to back me up. Please help me.[/QUOTE]

call the ACLU anyway and see what they have to say. It's not exactly a good idea to get your law consulting from a video game board. You don't know the faces behind the avatars. For all you know, you might just very well have a legitimate claim. Call them first thing in the morning.
 
fuck that-
Just because you were in the wrong doesn't mean you shouldn't fight it. Contact your local television station(s) and newspapers. Imagine how it would look if you got the word out; you got suspended for three days because you changed the words in your song? Make yourself out to be the victim, they are depriving you of your education.

The people here are right in that you have limited rights inside of school, but school's don't like controversy, use it to your advantage.

Also, was the talent show held during school hours? You may have some pull if it wasn't held when classes were in session.
 
Anybody have the animated GIF that defender made of EC eating a cheeseburger? You could've had that going in the background of your rap.
 
Man this sucks. Some rediculous shit went down that night. My friends were trying to sneak in and were waiting in the bathroom, and some teacher randomly accused them of doing cocaine and called the cops. The cops came and the principal was yelling at them to arrest the kids and the cop was like "For what? They didn't do anything." They made a big deal of calling my friend's parents and saying she was caught in the bathroom with cocaine, even though it was an outrageous allegation based on nothing.

My female friend ended up with a 3 day suspension for sneaking in and being in the boy's restroom, it's rediculous.
 
chris2.gif
 
You're screwed...not only do "free speech laws" not really apply like others pointed out, but you broke their rule apparently and then intentionally decieved them during the audition. Then you go and do the very thing you say you would've got called out for at the auditon during the performance and you don't expect any consequences? Just take the advice of others by keeping quiet and taking the suspension, it'll save you time and trouble in the long run...
 
accidentaly burn down your school, you'll get a 60 minute show on the history channel, tell me thats not cool...well it is for me cause ill get to watch a new special at 3 in the morning....mao, didi mao
 
There's a supreme court case from the Vietnam era that said that constitutional rights don't end at the school's doorstep, you can look it up if you want, citing that might help you.
 
Well, my arguement is going to end up being that I said both Ethenol and Retarded at the dress rehersal, and no one said a thing. The only thing they can truly punish me for is changing the line to Chris Brooks rather than what I said at the rehersal (Mel Brooks).

I'm a crook, I steal library books
I've got more firearms than Chris Brooks

That's it. The only reason they're trying to nail me on the other two lines is because they know it would be retarded if they only got me on the Chris Brooks thing. And if they make some thing about how they're mad because I'm talking about guns, I'll make a point of how I talked about guns at the rap battle and no one cared, and they had no problem when the guns were in reference to Mel rather than Chris.

It's semantics really, this lady is just pissed she couldn't nail my friends for sneaking into a shitty fucking talent show by making up these totally bogus allegations that they were doing cocaine. They gave me four days to write and memorize a song, and then gave me a list of revisions to make the day of the fucking show.

Asshats.

This is the same school that thought "West Side Story" was too offensive to Latin Americans to have as our school play, than did a production of the Vagina Monologues starring fucking high school students two years later.

For the record, Amherst Regional High School blows.
 
[quote name='EndlessChris']Well, my arguement is going to end up being that I said both Ethenol and Retarded at the dress rehersal, and no one said a thing. The only thing they can truly punish me for is changing the line to Chris Brooks rather than what I said at the rehersal (Mel Brooks).

I'm a crook, I steal library books
I've got more firearms than Chris Brooks

That's it. The only reason they're trying to nail me on the other two lines is because they know it would be retarded if they only got me on the Chris Brooks thing. And if they make some thing about how they're mad because I'm talking about guns, I'll make a point of how I talked about guns at the rap battle and no one cared, and they had no problem when the guns were in reference to Mel rather than Chris.

It's semantics really, this lady is just pissed she couldn't nail my friends for sneaking into a shitty fucking talent show by making up these totally bogus allegations that they were doing cocaine. They gave me four days to write and memorize a song, and then gave me a list of revisions to make the day of the fucking show.

Asshats.

This is the same school that thought "West Side Story" was too offensive to Latin Americans to have as our school play, than did a production of the Vagina Monologues starring fucking high school students two years later.

For the record, Amherst Regional High School blows.[/QUOTE]

Is it any wonder that the globally speaking, the US educational system is constantly mocked and looked down upon with disdain? Instead of focusing on actually educating, schools are more concerned about offending someone. Let the teachers actually teach for a change instead of worry if Billy's parents will be offended that he's learning about human anatomy in health class or if the word 'God' in the Pledge of Allegiance is a violation of church and state (which I think it is but it's just words last I checked). So many parents/educators fighting over pedantic and inane issues such as being offended by a shirt some student wore or having shirts of a certain color when they should be more concerned about the actual education such as reading and math. Blah. fuck the US school system. It's time to homeschool.
 
[quote name='EndlessChris']Here's a more recent picture

scan0002.jpg


A fat white rapper, I know, it's rediculous. I'm kind of a rediculous person.[/QUOTE]
Rapping your way out of the Suburbs.
 
[quote name='EndlessChris']Well, my arguement is going to end up being that I said both Ethenol and Retarded at the dress rehersal, and no one said a thing. The only thing they can truly punish me for is changing the line to Chris Brooks rather than what I said at the rehersal (Mel Brooks).

I'm a crook, I steal library books
I've got more firearms than Chris Brooks

/QUOTE]

Well, this Chris Brooks guy could probably sue you for slander so you probably don't want to give him any ideas by bringing up a lawsuit.
 
[quote name='EndlessChris']Well, my arguement is going to end up being that I said both Ethenol and Retarded at the dress rehersal, and no one said a thing. The only thing they can truly punish me for is changing the line to Chris Brooks rather than what I said at the rehersal (Mel Brooks).

I'm a crook, I steal library books
I've got more firearms than Chris Brooks

[/QUOTE]

This Chris Brooks guy could sue you for libel so you probably don't want to give him any ideas by bringing up a lawsuit.
 
Personally I'd take the 3 days, if actually want to go to school call up the principle and see if they will drop it for some comunity serivce hours and a session or 2 of diversity awareness with a school councilor.
 
[quote name='dopa345']This Chris Brooks guy could sue you for libel so you probably don't want to give him any ideas by bringing up a lawsuit.[/QUOTE]

I could see it now.

Opening statement:

He claims to have more guns than me, but with my extensive criminal record and my history of armed robbery I plan to prove that I have more guns than him
 
[quote name='Ugamer_X']fuck that-
Just because you were in the wrong doesn't mean you shouldn't fight it. Contact your local television station(s) and newspapers. Imagine how it would look if you got the word out; you got suspended for three days because you changed the words in your song? Make yourself out to be the victim, they are depriving you of your education.

The people here are right in that you have limited rights inside of school, but school's don't like controversy, use it to your advantage.

Also, was the talent show held during school hours? You may have some pull if it wasn't held when classes were in session.[/QUOTE]

I second everything he just said.
 
It's not correct to say you have "no rights" but you will be fighting a very uphill battle both in the courts of law and public opinion if you try to make something out of this.
 
Trust me, its not worth fighting. You are basically getting a 3 day vacation. You now have a great excuse if you get behind on your classwork because the school is required to give you all homework during your suspension or you get your ass sued.

I got a 3 day suspension earlier this year for tearing down a kids sign at a basketball game after we won against a heavily favored team. He runs on to the court waving his "conference champs 2005" sign around. The school cooked together some bullshit "inciting a riot".

You should give the ACLU a call though. I'm sure you'll be bored as hell during your suspension and it cant hurt.
 
defame: that is what you did to him the person who did the armed robbery, and maybe the school gave you a 3 day vacation cause they are afraid of a civil matter which they could face litigation because you were on there propertywhen you did it.


on the other hand, Schools a so full of stupid sh*t. I remember going through the metal detectors at my school and getting my bagged searched like I am at the airport and I said bomb. then the people that smell like weed and look high that have no bookbag and have no problems getting through the metal dectectors at all. However it is all politics. I guess. Like for example there was one cd bootlegger and he did it all 4 year he was there and he and the principal went to the same church and had the same ethnic background. My friend who is plain old white started doing it, and the principal made him stop and told him she would call the police, and she almost suspended him. then he mentioned the other bootlegger and she never suspended him. but made him stop, he still did it to the end of the year.
 
[quote name='dopa345']This Chris Brooks guy could sue you for libel so you probably don't want to give him any ideas by bringing up a lawsuit.[/QUOTE]

I think you mean slander. Libel is a tort reserved defaming someone's reputation in writing. Slander is for defaming someone's reputation in speech. Also, neither of those torts are actionable if the statement is true or used for social commentary (which it sounds like here). You have little to worry about in this regard.
 
There is no freedom of speech or symbolic expression whatsoever on any school grounds, and if you are under 18 you don't even have those freedoms outside of school.

Sorry kid, but that's what happens when you let 80 year old conservatives on the supreme court.
 
"Just because you were in the wrong doesn't mean you shouldn't fight it."

WTF?!?


Endless- ridiculous. And why did they have to sneak in to the school?
 
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