Show 10A Standard-Examin- Saturday November er 19 1988 Opinions Standard-Examine- r Editorials f There was reason in police training Ogden Police Chief Joe Ritchie is the first to admit that his latest training program was rather unorthodox But he sas he would choose this radical way of training officers again because he feels it was so successful Ritchie is referring to the training session this past week in which men from his department were joined by officers from other law enforcement agencies to hear white supremacist Richard Masker of Idaho talk about the histoce OMfM’88 A Thousand fonts of Light philosophy and geography of the movement Ritchie said there are no new threats of Ogden being overrun by Arayan Nations followers His training program he said is the result of his department’s ongoing alert to learn more about white supremacists and specifically the Aryan Nations organization that had indicated it was moving its headquarters to Ogden Although there is little or no indication that the militant organization still plans to relocate Ritchie said he has not let down his guard Nor does he have any new information that Ogden could expect to be infiltrated with followers of the Aryan Nations he said Ritchie said the rationale behind the Masker training session is to further enhance “our intelligence network know the mechanics of how they work hear what he has to say and observe how he thinks” Police officers did not approach the training sessions with any gullibility they knew he was a radical person who seeks notoriety the chief said There are certain members of the Ogden community who are enraged by the visit of the and are critical of Ritchie for allowing it to happen That’s regrettable he said His only concern he said is to be the watchdog of all the community and he believed it to be important to hear “what Masker had to say” Although there may not be imminent danger that the Aryan Nations followers are coming to Utah the fascination with their doctrine and the knowledge gained by law enforcement officers on the philosophies is healthy — responsible police work similar to training undercover agents who infiltrate the drug community Undoubtedly Masker’s listeners didn’t get more than a snippet of factual information As long as there is strong skepticism toward his message such law enforcement g training sessions could have a positive and beneficial affect The only failing was in not letting the public be aware in advance of the controversial nature of this particular session ry neo-Na- zi long-lastin- Schools fry to balance authority with student rights Local school boards have right to ensure their values prevail For Scnpps Howard News Service When students arrive at school wearing showing copulating turtles or advertising condoms the issue is not “constitutional rights of free expression” The issues are the right of school boards to establish policies that represent local community values the need for school leaders to assure a climate where all students are able to pursue a quality education without undue disruptions and the need for parents to teach their youngsters responsibility Let's deal first with the freedom of speech issue — an important individual liberty but a tired cry by some national organizations intent on legislating local standards The nation's highest authority on the US Constitution the United States Supreme court recently has twice cited the school’s responsibility to create an environment conducive to learning In Hazelwood School District vs Kuhlmeier in 1988 and Bethel School District vs Fraser in 1986 the Court designated schools as institutions with special responsibilities and consequent authority Providing instruction is the top priority A recent situation at Wootton High School in Rockville Md spotlights important issues that other communities should consider to In that case a few students wore school that were considered to be in poor taste by the school principal based on a school board policy The principal informed students that if they wore such explicit apparel in the future they would be suspended The basic issue here is whether local communities should have the discretion to establish expectations for appropriate behavior within the framework of the US Constitution A key democratic principle in this nation is that education is a local responsibility That's why voters in Maryland and other states elect local school boards School boards are responsible for establishing local policies as long as they are not in conflict with the Constitution That’s the American wav It’s important to defend this principle of local control since instruction so strongly rclects the current needs and beliefs of a local community As the economy in an area changes the school board should be able to emphasize new couisework without worrying about approval from some distant au- - Scott Thomson thority values 1 he A 1987 same goes for providing education in Gallup Poll on education indicated 56 percent of Americans believed schools should teach “character education” If that’s the belief of local communities they should have the right working through the local democratic process with their school board to offer classes and establish policies reflecting those beliefs Issue two is the role of the school principal We are in the process of school improvement in this country Research tells us that the principal is the key individual in turning around schools through leadership motivation and providing a sound learning climate Ernest Boyer president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching said: “Principals set the tone of schools They determine in large measure the environment for students” This certainly is not to say that school principals have the right to act blindly Their decisions must be based on school syytem policy and professional judgment That’s exactly what happened in this case Principals if they are to demonstrate the leadership necessary to move our schools forward must have the authority to use their judgment to provide an effective learning environment There arc a few miciesimg aspects of the Woouon High School situation that perhaps indicate the principal acted well within his responsibilities First no students were suspended in fact no disciplinary action has been taken regarding The principal communicated the school system policy to all concerned and the students seem to have accepted it The school newspaper “Common Sense” supported the principal’s action in an editorial The final point is the responsibility of parents to work with their youngsters regarding appropriate dress If parents do not support a policy they should work with the school board to change it But they also should help students understand that school is a special place that education is an investment in their future and that learning is the primary goal at school Perhaps the most unfortunate point of the situation at Wootton High School is that so much time has been spent on this issue — time when teachers the principal and assistant principals students and others could all be focusing on academic success (Scull Thomson is executne director if the Sation-a- l Association of Secondary School Pmuipals ) Discipline doesn’t excuse violations of the Constitution Colleen O’Connor freedom of speech protections as adults do In addition school administrators have an obligation to treat students fairly when it comes to met- For Scnpps Howard News Service Discipline as every teacher can tell you is an essential ingredient in any classroom And public education relies on the ability of local teachers and administrators to use their discretion in setting standards for behavior performance and the quality of the educational enterprise But students have rights as well — to the same constitutional protections guaranteed by the Bill of Rights to all of us So what happens when school officials’ authority conflicts with a student’s right to free speech to a religious freedom or to privacy? It is not a new question State and federal courts recognized student rights and have been grappling with such clashes for more than 30 years From those battles a consistent legal theme has developed: School officials can make and enforce reasonable rules of behavior so long as those rules are directly related to advancing a student's education But the courts have also affirmed with equal student's life vigor that the scope of regulating any conis limited and that students do not lose their walk through the stitutional rights when they door schoolhouse How do these principles relate to the most recent knottv question In Maryland: Can students wear judged in bad taste by school officials? The question is legally complicated for several reasons: The way one looks or dresses is a fundamental form of personal expression as such many courts say protected by the First Amendement Moreover definitions of bad taste — and obscenity — are by nature subjective Therefore reasonable people can disagree about their meanings One teacher may decide a “Drink More Beer is offensive: another could just as easily that premise (or banners or armbands) that Finally have political significance — as was argued m this case by some students — are clearly protected speech as defined by the Supreme Court In a 1969 case Tinker v Dcs Moines Independent Community School District the high court upheld the rights of students who had been expelled because they wore armbands in protest of the Vietnam War That case is notable primarily because it affirmed the principle that' students enjoy the same te ing out discipline Students are entitled to appropriate due process In other words public schools cannot arbitrarily suspend or expel students without hearing their side of the story School officials can prohibit certain type of dress if they first determine that the dress is harmful to the student or others or disruptive to the educational atmosphere For example school administrators have every right to bar students from wearing spike jewelry or provocative dress But again school teachers must have a basis in fact for such determinations they cannot just decide that some dress codes are inappropriate arbitrarily In the Maryland case — and indeed many others — the school failed initially to meet those standards After students objected school officials reconsidered and withdrew complaints against some students In the view of the American Civil Liberties Union therefore the initial decision to suspend the students — without a hearing and for arguable taste questions — violated their rights The issue appears to have been resolved peaceably and reasonably — to the credit of both sides But it’s likely unfortunately that this could happen again It may be tempting for public school teachers to assert their authority in the name of keeping classroom peace but we might also worry that we are teaching by example the wrong civics lesson when we opt for authoritarian rule over an appreciation by students for their basic constitutional rights Any teacher confronted by that view might do well to take a few question in my minutes of classtime to discuss the issue to help students appreciate that they have rights as well as responsibilities limits as well as liberties That is a lesson too often overlooked in American classrooms but one that in the long run can make for better citizens (The AC’LLl publishes two handbooks available from the national office The Rights of Students ($695 Southern Illinois University Press) and The Rights of Teachers ($495 Bantham Books) If you have questions about this or other constitutional issues the ACLU will be happy to try to help 132 West 43rd Street New York New York 10036) (Colleen O’Connor is director of public education for the American Civil Liberties Union) |