Washington student free press bill re-introduced
January 16, 2008 by lancespeere
The Student Press Law Center is reporting that the Washington State Senate is going to again consider a bill protecting the free press rights of student journalists. Student press advocates fought to pass a similar bill last year to no avail. This bill is similar but caps the punitive damages students could have recovered from administrators. That seems to have been the main sticking point in the previous version.
Not only does the bill seek to protect student journalists, according to SPLC, it also contains this bit of news important to the media advisers:
The bill would forbid administrators at both high schools and colleges from firing, transferring or otherwise disciplining media advisers “for refusing to suppress the protected free expression rights of student journalists.”
The bill looks very similar to legislation passed in Illinois last year. Illinois is currently the only state with protection for media advisers, beginning June 1, 2008.
You can read the full story at SPLC.
