Opinion ID: 31956
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Prior Restraint as Applied

Text: 53 Because the school speech policy is an unconstitutional prior restraint as applied here by Davis and Criswell, it is a violation of Kirke and Johnson's clearly established rights. Davis and Criswell claim that they enforced the school policy in good faith, and as such, their actions were objectively reasonable. However, if Davis and Criswell knew or should have known at the time they acted that their actions would infringe on Kirke and Johnson's clearly established rights, their actions are unconstitutional despite their sincere subjective belief that they were acting in good faith. Barker v. Norman, 651 F.2d 1107, 1120 (5th Cir.1981). 54 Davis and Criswell's enforcement of a school speech policy that was an unconstitutional prior restraint as applied was objectively unreasonable. As discussed above, Shanley specifically emphasized that a school speech policy must be justified on the basis of maintaining school order and discipline. Because Davis and Criswell cannot contend that the application of GKA (LOCAL) to parents at a parents-only after-school meeting had a significant bearing on the educational environment, the policy was obviously unconstitutional. Consequently, Davis and Criswell's enforcement of that policy against Kirke and Johnson, regardless of their subjective intent, was objectively unreasonable.