Guidelines Seek Line between Free Speech, Bullying
Religion News Service’s Lauren Markoe reports on a recently released pamphlet containing guidelines on bullying and religiously motivated free speech in public schools. A project supported by a range of groups, including the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the pamphlet’s intent is to help teachers and students differentiate between acts of unlawful intimidation and acts of speech protected by the First Amendment. One excerpt from the pamphlet reads, “Repeatedly bombarding a fellow student with otherwise protected speech [including proselytizing], even if it ostensibly conveys an idea, can … constitute harassment.”