In an effort to keep kids safe, some schools have over-reacted with zero-tolerance policies and unnecessary suppressions of student expression, says David L. Hudson, Jr., a research attorney for the First Amendment Center in Nashville, Tenn.
"Student Expression in the Age of Columbine," examines court cases involving schools' handling of violent writing or art by students. Hudson writes: "Students have been punished for dark poetry, rap songs, Halloween essays ... and other material. In some cases, intervention was necessary, justified or wise. At other times, the fear for safety has led to the suppression of constitutional rights."
