Student Rights and Responsibilities

NOTE: If there are questions about student's rights, it is advisable that his or her counselor be consulted.

STUDENT EXPRESSION
The Board of Education of District No. 60 desires to promote an orderly educational community, which reflects traditional democratic values and constitutional principles to include freedom of expression by students.

The Board recognizes that the achievement of a proper balance between order and freedom is among the more perplexing issues confronting secondary education today.

The Board considers it is essential to define an appropriate balance between these matters for the guidance of the administration, faculty, parents, and students. Accordingly, as regards the expression of ideas and opinions by students on school premises: the Board hereby prescribes the following positions.

STUDENT RIGHTS - Subject to the procedures and General Limitations herein provided, students who legally attend Waukegan High School may express opinions and ideas, take stands and support causes, publicly and privately, orally or in writing. There may be no interference with these protected activities, however unpopular may be the viewpoint expressed.

EXERCISE OF PROTECTED ACTIVITIES ON BULLETIN BOARDS - At least one bulletin board in each building shall be provided for the use of approved student organizations, informal student groups, and individual students. Other bulletin boards may be designated for official school announcements only. Any bulletin board so designated shall be for restricted use and the school may remove materials placed thereon by students.

Prior approval by school officials is not required for the posting of notice or other communications on assigned student bulletin boards except as may be necessary to enforce the General Limitations hereinafter provided. Bulletin boards designated for students may be used for school activities,out-of-school activities or matters of general interest to students.

Any posted material deemed to violate the General Limitations hereinafter provided might immediately be removed by the school administration. At the request of interested students or of the sponsoring student organization, the school official responsible for removing the materials will explain the nature of the violation.

All student posted notice or communications shall be subject to reasonable size limitations and shall be dated and may be removed by the school after seven days to assure full access to bulletin boards for all students.

EXERCISE OF PROTECTED ACTIVITIES THROUGH DISTRIBUTION OF PRINTED MATERIALS AND CIRCULATION OF PETITIONS - Subject to the procedures and General Limitations herein provided, students may exercise their protected activities through (a) the distribution of handbills, leaflets, and other written materials and (b) the collection of signatures on petitions concerning either school or non-school matters or issues.

1. The time for conduct of any activities under this section may be restricted by the school administration to certain designated times, such as periods before school begins, after dismissal or during lunch periods, to the extreme that such restrictions are deemed necessary to prevent interference with the school program.
2. The places for the conduct of such activities may be reasonably restricted by the school administration to permit the normal flow of traffic within the school and the exterior doors.
3. The manner of conducting such activities may be reasonably restricted by the school administration to prevent undue levels of noise, or to prevent the use of coercion or unreasonable interferences with students. Littering shall not be sufficient grounds for preventing the distribution of materials.
4. circulated by students on school premises, within the intent and purpose of this policy, unless such printed materials and petitions have first been reviewed by the school principal or his designee for a prior determination that such printed materials or petitions do not violate the General Limitations herein provided. The decision of the school official shall be as prompt as possible. Subject to the right of appeal herein provided, no printed material may be distributed or petition circulated except where any such matter may be determined by the principal or his designee not to violate the General Limitations.

School officials shall not prohibit the distribution of printed material or circulation of petitions unless there is contained therein matter which violates one or more of the General Limitations where any such decision is rendered, the school official shall specify the manner in which it is if deemed that the policy would be violated by the proposed distribution or circulation.

EXERCISE OF PROTECTED ACTIVITIES THROUGH SIGNS AND SYMBOlS - Subject to the General Limitations herein provided, students may carry or wear placards, buttons, badges, or armbands on school premises.

GENERAL LIMITATIONS - In order to ensure the orderly and efficient operation of the school, all protected activities shall be subject to the following General Limitations:

1. No activity, which materially or substantially interferes with appropriate student discipline on school premises, shall be deemed protected activity.
2. No activity, which materially disrupts class work or provokes any substantial disorder, shall be deemed protected activity.
3. No activity, which invades the lawful rights of other persons, shall be deemed protected activity.
4. No activity shall be deemed protective activity which involves the use or expression of (1) obscenities, (2) any sexual themes where, given the particular context, content, and manner of communication, such use of expression may reasonably be expected to be substantially harmful to the normal development of younger, impressionable, and less mature students of the school.
5. No activity involving the use of false or malicious allegations which may subject any person to ridicule or contempt, or which may injure the reputation of any person, shall be deemed protected activity.
6. No activity involving the use of statements, which are grossly offensive to the reasonable sensibilities of school personnel, or unfairly or unduly injurious to their professional reputation, shall be deemed protected activity. Nothing herein, however, shall be deemed to prohibit legitimate criticism for the purpose of redressing real grievances, which exist.
7. No activity involving statements, grossly offensive to the reasonable sensibilities of any racial, religious, or ethnic group or any members thereof, shall be deemed protective activity.
8. No activity involving the use of printed materials to advocate that any religious denomination, sect, or point of view is preferable to any other shall be deemed protected activity.
9. No activity involving the advocacy of any substance or materials which may reasonably be believed to constitute a direct and substantial danger to the health of students, or providing any information as to the availability of such substances or materials,shall be a protected activity.
10. No activity-involving advocacy of the violation of existing statutes, ordinances, or other established laws or official school policy, rules or regulations, shall be deemed protected activity.
11. No printed material published in connection with a protected activity shall be prepared by the use of school equipment or property without specific prior approval by appropriate school personnel.
12. No activity involving the distribution of written materials which has a significant purpose of advertising commercial products or services for sale by profit-making organizations shall be deemed a protected activity.
13. No materials may be circulated or distributed in exchange for any payment, whether as a price or voluntary contribution, for such materials. Nor shall any student receive payment for services in the distribution or circulation of any material. No circulation or distribution in violation of this paragraph shall be deemed protected activity.
14. All copies of all written materials, whether posted on bulletin boards or circulated and distributed on school premises, shall bear the names of appropriate student organizations, other sponsoring student groups, or students. In the case of a student group, names of at least two students principally involved in the posting, circulation, or distribution shall be included.

DUE PROCESS RIGHTS OF STUDENTS
Individual rights granted by the CONSTITUTION of the United States are granted to all people regardless of age, sex, race, or creed. Students have rights as individuals; the school disciplinary procedures should not violate those rights. The essential rights involved in disciplinary procedures stem from the concept of due process. Under this concept, STUDENTS ARE ENTITLED:

1. To know what the RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE
2. To be NOTIFIED OF CHARGES and provided this opportunity to respond to those charges
3. To have counsel if they appeal
4. To APPEAL A DECISION about the charges to a HIGHER LEVEL
5. To have the charges or penalties REMOVED from their records if the evidence demonstrates innocence or non-involvement

In the administration of procedures and throughout the provisions for essential rights, the student should be made to feel that his/her value as a person is not questioned. What may be questioned is the student's behavior. Students should understand that they are expected to be responsible and accountable for their actions.

COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE IX - By resolution of the Board of Education and in accordance with the guidelines of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Waukegan Community Unit School District No. 60 has and, will maintain a policy of non-discrimination regardless of person's race, religion, handicap or sex.

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