Statewide — Today, the ACLU of Delaware sent a letter to all superintendents reminding them of their obligations to protect students’ First Amendment rights and foster civic engagement in their schools. The letter comes after some schools have had students peacefully express their objection to the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and concerns students, parents, and community members have raised regarding potential disciplinary actions of public schools.
The following statement can be attributed to Mike Brickner, executive director of the ACLU of Delaware:
“Protecting the constitutional rights of Delawareans means protecting students’ rights as well. Students do not check their First Amendment rights at the door when they enter school. Delaware youth, like many of us across the country, feel strongly about the injustices that they see around them. When that passion manifests in the form of protest, our students are honoring our most foundational rights as a nation: freedom of speech and expression.
We hope that all school districts in Delaware will recognize and respect the rights of their students to be civically engaged and advocate for the issues that matter to them. As always, the ACLU of Delaware is here to help any administrators, educators, parents, or students who are seeking guidance on how best to protect these vital constitutional rights.”
The following documents include the letter that was sent to all Delaware superintendents via email, as well as a printable one-pager on students' free speech rights:
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