By Katie Northcott, News Director
NOTE: This story has been updated with a statement from TCS. The statement indicates that the jury found that the student did not incur any actual injury.
In a press release on Thursday, Jan. 15, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) announced that a jury found in favor of a former Tullahoma High School (THS) student who sued Tullahoma City Schools (TCS).
The lawsuit came after a student was suspended for posting memes on Instagram satirizing former THS principal Jason Quick. According to FIRE, TCS removed the suspension from the student’s record and changed its social media policies shortly after the suit was filed in 2023.
Find more details on the lawsuit here.
FIRE’s press release is published below.
We have a victory for free speech in Tennessee! Today a jury found in favor of a high school student who was suspended for sharing memes outside of school.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression represented the student, who lampooned the principal on Instagram and received a three-day suspension – a clear violation of his First Amendment rights.
From FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick:
“This isn’t just a victory for our client, but also for any high school student who wants to express themselves online about school without fear of punishment. Our client’s posts caused no disruption, and what teens post on social media is their parents’ business, not the government’s.“
A statement from Tullahoma City Schools is published below.
We are grateful to the members of the jury who took time out of their normal schedules to hear this case, and, despite today’s ruling, Tullahoma City Schools remains fully committed to the principles of the First Amendment and believes that students are free to express their views. While we acknowledge that the jury found the student’s First Amendment rights were violated, we appreciate the jury’s recognition that the student did not incur any actual injury. We have already trained our administrators to further recognize students’ First Amendment rights and to handle them with greater nuance.
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