Protecting Student Speech

Ronald C. Den Otter My new book, Education in Democracy:The Importance of Free Speech in American Public Schools, is about the value of student speech and the dangers of censorship. Coupled with distrust of government, where school authorities cannot be trusted to police student speech competently or fairly, I make an autonomy-enhancing argument, contending that the exercise of free speech rights by students is constitutionally required in the name of respecting their autonomy, both as speakers (or writers) and listeners (or readers). I also explain why this practice over time is conducive to the development of the autonomous capacities that they will need as they approach adulthood and democratic citizenship. Ultimately, I defend the perhaps counterintuitive conclusion that constitutional protection for student speech is more imperative when students are young and impressionable. Not in spite of their age, but because of their age, there ought to be few limits regarding what they can…