From the Blog
Society for Professional Journalists Unveils 'Reporter's Guide to FERPA'The Society for Professional Journalists has published a usefully thorough examination of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the 1974 federal law governing access to student educational and disciplinary records. Working in conjunction with the Georgia First Amendment Foundation (GFAF), SPJ's report details both how FERPA works—that is, what materials it does and does not cover and to whom its protections apply—and how it fails. Specifically, SPJ argues that FERPA "has been twisted beyond recognition, keeping school lunch menus, graduation honors and athletic travel records secret," and implores both student journalists and their professional counterparts to push back against the increasing misuse of FERPA as a one-size-fits-all justification for hiding public records. SPJ's report is designed to "help journalists and citizens understand their rights to education records and not allow school officials to hide important public information while still protecting legitimate student privacy." Will Creeley | Monday, 8 March 2010 Read more |
Rights in the News: Greg's New Book Project Announced as Battle For Free Speech Continues at UCSDIn a week when a college football coach praised the mass theft of a campus newspaper as a productive "team-building exercise," and a blanket funding freeze of student fee-funded media continues at UC San Diego over the protests of just about everyone who's not Associated Students of UCSD President Utsav Gupta, the announcement of FIRE President Greg Lukianoff's new book project is aptly timed, to say the least. Peter Bonilla | Saturday, 6 March 2010 Read more |
Speech Code of the Month: Murray State UniversityFIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for March 2010: Murray State University in Kentucky. According to Murray State's Student Life Policies, conduct violations in the university's residence halls may be punished by "creative educational sanctions," such as "writ[ing] a letter of apology" and "mak[ing] signs or bulletin boards." These sanctions amount to compelled speech that violates Murray State's legal and moral obligations as a public institution to uphold its students' First Amendment right to freedom of conscience. Samantha Harris | Wednesday, 3 March 2010 Read more |
UCSD Students to Protest First Amendment Violations TodayToday, students at UCSD will protest the ongoing and unconstitutional violation of their First Amendment rights. Led by CFN member and California Review editor Alec Weisman, students will gather at UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox's office at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The protest is intended to be orderly, as described on its Facebook event page: ... Luke Sheahan | Wednesday, 3 March 2010 Read more |
