Angry over fired coach, students give school a lesson in free speech

[proud2BlibKansan]

When the school board fired the basketball coach at Sherwood High School last month, it had no idea it was in for a full-court press.

First, students at the small Cass County rural school plopped down in the hallway for a mass sit-in, at least as mass as it can get in a school with 250 students.

Then they made T-shirts to further protest the canning of coach Shawn Gibbs, whose team went 17-10 this past season.

Those shirts were banned, but before it was over the students gave the administration and board a lesson in First Amendment rights.

The American Civil Liberties Union agreed to handle the case on behalf of students and parents.

At 8:25 a.m. Tuesday, just minutes before a suit was to be filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, the school district’s attorney, Duane Martin, sent an e-mail:

“The administration believes that the turmoil has dissipated to the point that the T-shirts can be worn without a substantial disruption,” Martin wrote.

After the school lifted the ban, the ACLU did not file the lawsuit.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/04/1925021/students-give-school-a-lesson.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_submitted&qwxq=7322423#Comments_Container#ixzz0n3cSJchv

[ClarkUSA]

1. All's well that ends well. This would make a good Hollywood move line. Calling Ron Howard!

Updated to correct name of Hollywood director. :blush:

:hippie:

[ejpoeta]

2. nice to see students supporting the coach like that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. I love the t-shirts they made!