One of the basic purposes of education is to prepare students for responsible self-expression in a democratic society. Citizens in our democracy are permitted self-expression under the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. Full opportunity should be provided for students to inquire, to question, and to exchange ideas. They should be encouraged to participate in discussions in which many points of view, including those which are controversial, are freely expressed.
Students have the right to refrain from any activity which violates the precepts of their religion.
Students have the right to express themselves by speaking, writing, wearing, or displaying symbols of ethnic, cultural, or political values. Students have the right to petition and survey student opinion in accordance with the procedures that are established by the principal. Students have the right to form and express their own opinions on controversial issues without jeopardizing relations with their teachers or the school. Students have the right to assemble peacefully on school grounds or in school buildings. Exercise of this right shall be denied only on occasion when it substantially and directly endangers physical health or safety, damages property, or seriously and immediately disrupts the activities of others.