Leader of the Pack

California has again stepped forth as a leader in the movement to protect student speech. The state enacted a law last week - known informally as the Journalism Teacher Protection Act - that will protect high school and college advisers from retaliation "for trying to protect student press freedoms," according to a recent L.A. Times article by Robert Lopez (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-advisors4-2009jan04,0,7158385.story).

Lopez states that the measure is the most stringent in the nation ---- and "closes a loophole in state law that for years has ensured free speech rights for students but failed to guarantee protections for advisors, according to supporters." He continues: "They say administrators have been able to exercise de facto campus censorship by clamping down on journalism advisors."

For more on the new law, visit MF grantee Student Press Law Center's site: http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1817.