Secretary of state, ACLU remind Scarborough superintendent of students free speech rights

[jpak]

Source: Portland Press Herald

The ACLU of Maine reminded Scarborough School Superintendent Julie Kukenberger on Friday that the First Amendment protects student voter registration efforts even if they’re driven by a controversial subject.

Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap also weighed in, telling Kukenberger that she cannot stop students from discussing community issues in school, even if the subject is controversial, and even if some students feel pressured to participate.

“We are only left to support the citizen to have their voice heard, however they choose,” Dunlap said in a letter sent Friday afternoon. “This is normal discourse between citizens.”

The ACLU sent a letter to the superintendent after she halted a voter registration drive on Thursday in response to complaints from parents that some students were feeling pressured to register to vote and sign recall petitions for three school board members.

<more>

Read more: https://www.pressherald.com/2018/03/23/aclu-reminds-scarborough-superintendent-of-students-free-speech-rights/

---

A generation awakens....

[Honeycombe8]

1. "Pressured to register to vote"?

It's pressure to do something that you're going to do at some point, anyway? And which is your right and duty, as a citizen, anyway? You can register (which you're going to do, anyway), and not vote, if you don't want to. No one will know.

Repubs once again trying to interfere with the rights of others, so they can get their way. But refuse to sell something to a gay person because you don't think he should be gay? That's all right!

[RandomAccess]

2. A generation awakens....

... with a ROAR.

And a nation responds.