FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 10, 2020
Media contact: Ana Maria Rosato [email protected]
ATLANTA – The ACLU of Georgia sent the Paulding County School District an open records request concerning the disciplinary practices around its Personal Communications/Electronics Devices policy in the Student Code of Conduct. Requested records for the current and prior school year include discipline data such as in-school or out-of-school suspensions resulting from alleged violations of the policy, communications to or from district employees about the policy, and board of education meeting notes about the policy.
“Transparency on how officials are responding to this pandemic is essential for public trust. Silencing students undermines our students' civil liberties and the public trust. Students do not leave their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse door. Silencing and disciplining students for criticizing their schools — including their school’s response to a global pandemic — is unconstitutional,” said Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia.
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