This case arises from the action Alpine High School Principal, Nick Ruiz took, by prohibiting Rachel Ross’ (“Petitioner”) article from publication in the opinion section of Alpine High School’s newspaper. In September 2014, Petitioner, enrolled in Alpine High School. Ever since Petitioner has been a student at Alpine High School, she has maintained a GPA between 3.8 - 4.0 and has been active in various extracurricular activities including student government.
Alpine High School is comprised of 20% students of color and immigrant background, while the rest of the student body is predominately white. The school has a school newspaper called the Sentinel, which includes an opinion column called “Our Voice.” The paper is funded mainly by advertisements …show more content…
Rodgers believes the language of the article is not up to the educational values and standards of the school, he informs Principal Ruiz. After the first two articles that Petitioner submitted were rejected, Mr. Rodgers had a brief conversation with Petitioner explaining the reasoning behind the decision not to publish them. The third article that Petitioner submitted, Modern Views on Conflict Resolution, included none of the language deemed “threatening,” “graphic,” or “violence inciting,” therefore, it was published on the “Our Voice” section. Meanwhile, “The Truth About Trump” brought back the rhetoric that goes against the school’s educational values. Mr. Rodgers brought the article to Principal Ruiz’s attention after noticing that the article contained language that is not permitted to be published. Principal Ruiz was concerned that the article might incite violence in the community and made the ultimate decision to not publish the …show more content…
Some of the inflammatory and divisive language Petitioner used in, The Truth About Trump, include "We must be vigilant in protecting our country and willing to do whatever is necessary to fight back against those who seek to see President Trump and America fail … True Americans don’t fear conflict but welcome it. True Americans will stop at nothing to protect the freedoms and virtues of the greatest country the world has ever known." This language specifically goes against the educational values that were promoted during the educational conference, such as handling polarizing themes in a positive way, which both Principal Ruiz and Alpine High School seek to foster in the students and the community.
Principal Ruiz first learned about Petitioner’s unhappiness regarding the article when he was served with a legal notice and complaint before any chance to discuss with Petitioner and remedy her article for publication. Principal Ruiz has made it clear that the safety of the students is his main concern and that he is willing to work with Petitioner to publish the article if the violent language is removed.
Procedural History and Ruling