The Arab Student Union at Jackson-Reed High School in Northwest D.C. has withdrawn its request for a federal court to take emergency action in a lawsuit that claimed the school suppressed the student club’s right to free speech.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which initially filed the suit on behalf of the ASU on April 24, filed a motion and issued a news release on Wednesday, saying the two sides had negotiated an interim agreement, effectively ending the request for the court to issue a preliminary injunction before a trial.
However, the lawsuit will continue, and the agreement allows the ASU to screen one of three films the group requested — “The Wanted 18,” “Farha,” or “5 Broken Cameras,” — during lunch periods at the end of May, according to the ACLU and court filings.
The group will also be allowed to distribute its proposed educational handout, or zine, about Palestinian culture, with a slight variation from the original eight panels conceived by the students.
The school will email all faculty administrators to make the standards clear to student organizations regarding the posting of materials, viewing of films, and planning of events and activities.
In its initial complaint, ASU said their rights were being violated: “Their speech has been suppressed because the school does not want their viewpoint — which concerns the ongoing war in Gaza and its effects on the Palestinian people — to be heard.”
“Public school administrators cannot trample students’ First Amendment rights simply because they do not like what the students have to say. This victory reaffirms that students’ rights do not vanish at the school’s door,” said Arthur Spitzer, Senior Counsel at ACLU-D.C. “The lawsuit will continue, so that we can clearly establish the right of the ASU and all student groups to exercise their First Amendment rights in D.C. Public Schools.”
The D.C. Attorney General’s Office told WTOP that it does not have a comment at this time.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
