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Case Study: Stupid Cupid

Vantrel Perry

Jackson State University

EDAD615: Legal Issues In Educational Administration

Dr. Lennie Little

January 29, 2023

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Case Study: Stupid Cupid

Before accepting or rejecting the case study, the meaning of an editorial must be defined.

An editorial is a piece of writing that expresses the newspaper's viewpoint on a particular issue.

It represents the overwhelming election of the editorial staff, the newspaper's governing body

comprised of editorial staff and business managers. It is almost always unsigned. Much like a

defense attorney, editorial writers construct an argument and make an effort to convince

audiences to believe what they do. Editorials are intended to influence popular sentiment,

promote critical thinking, and, in some cases, motivate individuals to take action on an issue. An

editorial is essentially an opinion based news story.

Pupils are able to write articles, form groups, and sometimes even seek to redress school

officials on issues, in accordance with legal parameters governing student speech. According to

the United States Supreme Court, students "do not give up their constitutional rights to free

speech and expression at the school." However, there are legal constraints of speech. Some types

of speech are not covered by the First Amendment in the United States. According to the United

States Supreme Court, the Constitution of the United States safeguards free speech whilst also

allowing limits on some categories of speech. Among the categories of speech that receive less

or no protection under the First Amendment (and thus may be restricted) are obscenity, fraud,

pornographic material, speech essential to unlawful actions, speech that instigates imminent

lawless action, speech that violates a person's intellectual property rights, truthful intimidations,

and commercial speech such as advertising. Defamation that causes reputational harm is both a

tort and a violation of free speech. Kaycee Morning and Coach Lawrence were both victims of

defamation in this case study.

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Tara Hills, the new principal, was very well cognizant of the offensive remarks

throughout this case study. Teachers believe she did not adequately punish the student editorial

staff and contributors to the online newspaper. It is the responsibility of school officials to try to

redact student reporters in order to prevent humiliation for the classroom, teachers, and parent

complaints. School-sponsored publications can be censored underneath the 1988 Supreme Court

ruling in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier if problems occur that are "reasonably related

to legitimate pedagogical concerns." As a result, censorship may be permitted if a school can

provide a developmentally appropriate activities justification for it. Only outrageous, libelous,

slanderous, or probable to instigate anyone else to commit illegal or destructive acts can school

authorities prohibit the publication of stories in school newspapers.

When rejecting this case, PSEL Standard 7 is critical. The significance of cultivating a

research community for staff and educators is highlighted in Standard 7. Tara Hills isn't doing

that because she's allowing students to smear Ms. Morning's and Coach Nathan's names.

Effective principals ensure that the workplace is just and democratic. Principals should genuinely

care about their teachers' well-being. They can illustrate this by remaining open to suggestions

from teachers and providing recognition, applaud, and criticism to encourage confidence and a

safe environment for making mistakes. Tara Hills should really have handled the problem before

it became a problem in this case study.

Memo

To Whom It May Concern:

I am very concerned about how River Boat High School principal Tara Hills handled the

situation involving Ms. Kaycee Morning and Coach Nathan Lawrence. Students frequently
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convey their need to be free from familial and school authority through a variety of means,

including clothing, language, and symbols. This natural desire for expressive freedom, however,

can cross paths with a desire to sustain discipline and order in the school. Laws and guidelines

can be unclear, and it can be difficult to strike the right balance between students ’ rights, a

positive classroom surroundings, and the obligation to maintain order and discipline.

The interplay of the mechanisms world and the lifeworld determines the school's

normative environment. However, the mechanisms society and the lifeworld are constantly

competing for dominance, resulting in a conflict with both freedom and order. A well-ordered

and optimistic school culture necessitates the proper balance. However, in many schools, the

systems world dominates the student world, resulting in a sense of meaninglessness, alienation,

and hopelessness. As a result, decisions concerning students must be made with extreme caution.

I believe that the this situation was handled too casually. I understand that students have the right

to free speech pursuant to the First Amendment, but then those student editors went too far.

Principal Hills and the student editors acknowledged that the comment threads were

inappropriate and pledged to more cautiously edit the website. The editorial was entirely based

on rumors. Kaycee and Nathan claimed that the article was insulting to their power as teachers,

creating issues in their classrooms and with their spouses. I wholeheartedly concur. This editorial

was extremely disrespectful, defaming both teachers. A principal, in my opinion, ought to keep

the best interests of their staff in mind. PSEL Standard 7 emphasizes this as well. Principal Hills'

refusal to defend her employees speaks volumes about her leadership. I wouldn't want to work

for her if she didn't stand up to assist me when I required it. The problem could have been

avoided altogether. In my view, if you aren't actively trying to stand up for what's right, you are
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contributing to the issue. Tara Hills was indeed the issue in this case even though she did not

resolve the issue.