PITTSBURGH – A high school senior who was transferred to an alternative school as punishment for parodying his principal on the Internet is suing the district, arguing that it violated his freedom of speech.
Justin Layshock used his grandmother’s computer and the Web site MySpace.com to create a phony profile under the principal’s name and photo.
The site asks questions, and Justin filled in answers peppered with vulgarities, fat jokes and, to the question “what did you do on your last birthday?” the response: “too drunk to remember,” according to the lawsuit filed on Justin’s behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union.
School officials weren’t amused. They questioned the teenager about the site on Dec. 21, and he apologized to the principal, the ACLU said.
Then, on Jan. 6, the district suspended Justin for 10 days and transferred him to an alternative program typically reserved for students with behavior or attendance problems, according to the lawsuit. He also was banned from school events, including tutoring and graduation ceremonies.
“The school’s punishment affects his education,” said Witold Walczak, Pennsylvania legal director of the ACLU. “In this critical last semester, Justin’s opportunities to gain admission to college may be irreparably damaged.”
According to the lawsuit, Pennsylvania State University notified Justin that his application had been put on “a registration hold” and asked for more information about the suspension. “It is unknown how or why the university had received this information, since it is supposed to be confidential under federal student privacy laws,” the lawsuit says.
Officials with the Hermitage School District declined to comment.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, seeks Justin’s immediate reinstatement to his regular school.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
