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As a senior at South Hadley High School, Jeffrey Pyle was disciplined for wearing a shirt that read "Co-ed Naked Band". Pyle sued the school claiming they violated his right to free expression. The school countered the shirt was a violation of its harassment policy because it was degrading to women and thus interfered with the school's basic, educational mission.
On October 29, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut (ACLUF-CT) hosted over 100 students from schools from across Connecticut in a discussion of the tensions between school uniform and dress code policies and students' freedom of expression at the 12th Annual First Amendment Conference. Students attending the conference explored the Constitutional right to free expression as it applies to this widely contested area of the law.
Speakers at the conference included Pyle, now an attorney specializing in First Amendment rights, and John Finn, Chair and Professor of Government at Wesleyan University. Pyle talked about his experiences as a student; while Finn discussed the circumstances under which schools have the right to limit students' freedom of expression and some cases that demonstrate circumstances where schools cannot.
 
The conference was started by the Center for First Amendment Rights (CFAR), which formally became part of the ACLUF-CT in June 2008. This is the ACLUF-CT's second year presenting the conference and the ACLUF-CT is proud to continue the legacy of CFAR. "This conference is an excellent way for the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut to partner with schools to teach students about the constitution," said Andrew Schneider, Executive Director of the ACLU of Connecticut. "The importance of this type of educational programming is underscored by the recent John S. and James L. Knight Foundation study, which revealed that 75% of teens surveyed, didn't know or care about the First Amendment."
All Connecticut high school students now have the opportunity to explore this topic on their own through the First Amendment Essay Contest. Entries and information are available here.
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