Law-Related Mentoring: Session 7
Knowledge Is Power:
Your Rights as a Student
Do you know your rights when you’re in your school building? What about when you’re on a
school bus? Are you aware of what’s in your school records? Are they available to you? Could there
be legal consequences if you wear your school sweatshirt to a protest? If you have a disability, what
accommodations have been made for you? What kind of intrusive strip search can school officials
undertake when they suspect students have drugs on them? All of these and others are questions
that you’ll have an opportunity to explore during this session.
Individual Mentoring Time: Make It Personal (15 minutes)
Use the following questions to begin to talk with your mentor about school rules:
• Why are there so many rules at school?
• Which rules are helpful? Which rules are just an annoyance?
• Have you ever purposely disobeyed a school rule? What happened?
• How are students disciplined when they violate rules at school? How fair do you think the procedures are?
• Why are parent/guardian permission forms required for school trips?
• Have you ever asked to see your official school record? Why would that be important to do?
Group Time: Get the Facts and Debate the Issues (45 minutes)
You will be organized into teams of three to five students. Two teams will take (or be assigned to) one of the issues
below, which are actual cases or based on true stories:
• Fifteen-year-old Santiago has been accused of sexually harassing girls on the school bus. He says that his behavior
is his way of complimenting girls on their appearance, and he never meant to offend or harm anyone. Should
Santiago be disciplined for sexual harassment?
• School officials searched the bra and panties of thirteen-year-old Savannah who was suspected of having
prescription and over-the-counter pain medication on her, a violation of school policy. Were Savannah’s Fourth
Amendment rights (not to be subjected to unreasonable search and seizure) violated by school officials?
• Fourteen-year-old Paola has a significant physical disability that requires a fair amount of special care. Until this
year, Paola had been able to attend the local public school, which provided her with the “free appropriate public
education” to which she is entitled by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. However, because of
extensive budget cuts, the school says it now must provide those services in a more limited way. However, Paola’s
parents learn of a private school in a nearby community that can meet their daughter’s educational and physical
needs. Paola’s parents expect the local public school district to pay the private school tuition since that is the only
way Paola will be able to get the kind of education to which she is entitled. What should the public school district
do?
• Daniel attends a high school with a zero tolerance policy; even one act of physical aggression results in immediate
school suspension. After being teased repeatedly by several boys about his appearance—everything from his hair
style to the color of his T-shirt—Daniel lost his temper and pushed one of the boys. Daniel’s teacher witnessed
the pushing and reported the incident to school officials. Daniel was immediately suspended from school in
compliance with its zero tolerance policy. Were Daniel’s rights violated?
• Joseph, a high school senior, was suspended after he refused to take down a banner that said “BONG HITS 4
JESUS” at a school-sanctioned and school-supervised event along the route of the Olympic Torch Relay after the
school principal had directed him to do so. The principal believed that the banner advocated illegal drug use in
violation of school policy that specifically prohibited “any assembly or public expression that . . . advocates the
use of substances that are illegal to minors” and a policy that required that school conduct policies be applied at
student social events and class trips. Were Joseph’s First Amendment rights to free speech violated?
You will have an opportunity to debate the issues, either on the “for” or “against” side. You may not necessarily
agree with the side you’re on, but you will need to figure out arguments you can use to win the debate. That is what
lawyers need to do when they’re representing a client.
The mentors will explain the rules of debate and judging. Although this is a great opportunity for developing your
public speaking skills, if you feel uncomfortable debating an issue, you can take on the role of a debate judge or time
keeper. Or you might have a discussion about one or more of these cases with a small group.
Reflection Time (15 minutes)
Discuss the following questions:
• How did you feel taking a side in a debate?
• Were there aspects of the issue that weren’t discussed?
• Did anything you hear change your mind? What made that person’s arguments particularly persuasive?
• What other student rights issues are you interested in?
Announcements, Refreshments, and Wrap-up
This is the time to network, enjoy refreshments, and find out about your next meeting.
Questions Before the Next Session
For “Knowledge Is Power”
• What do you think the limits of free speech should be at school and at work?
• When your free speech rights clash with a school policy, what factors do you think should be important in
determining whether the policy should be enforced?
For “Time Management”
• What’s your time management style? Are you a procrastinator? A get-it-done-early type?
• If you have a part-time or summer job, how do you fit that in with the other responsibilities you have?