Pubdate: Mon, 02 Jul 2007 Source: Washington Post (DC) Copyright: 2007 The Washington Post Company Contact: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n764/a10.html Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n752/a05.html Author: Tom Farquhar A THREAT TO ORDER IN THE SCHOOLS As a school administrator, I celebrate the Supreme Court decision that upheld the right of a principal to a penalize a student for displaying a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" ["Court Backs School on Speech Curbs," news story, June 26]. The job of a high school principal is difficult, and the principal who hesitates to take daily action to ensure order in her school will quickly find it drowning in a flood of inappropriate language, including hate speech and sexual harassment, not to mention advocacy of illegal behavior. It came as no surprise that The Post would seek to extend the principle of freedom of speech to the far reaches of public life, including our schools ["A Less-Than-Banner Ruling," editorial, June 27]. Yet The Post is familiar with the dilemmas faced by educators as a new wave of edgy speech washes into the American schoolhouse. Last September, when you reported on the suggestive language appearing on students' T-shirts ["Teens' T-Shirts Make Educators Squirm; Suggestive Messages Challenge Dress Codes," front page, Sept. 27], there was no editorial outcry from you as school administrators banned T-shirt messages they deemed inappropriate for a school setting. The First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. . . . " This principle is fundamental to a free society. But when The Post argues that the framers meant by this that the school board and the principal shall make no rule abridging the freedom of speech, you have gone too far, for you threaten the vital role of the schoolhouse in teaching both freedom and responsibility. Tom Farquhar Head of School Bullis School Potomac - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake