Debates over free speech have been frequent across the country for centuries. However, the controversy has picked up in recent months between groups of all ages, demographics and political leanings. This guide article is defined to clarify where the lines are drawn for public school students in the Carlsbad Unified School District.

In the recent assembly for the upperclassmen at Sage Creek, students were briefed on sportsmanlike etiquette in school activities. The nature of conversation and debate among students at Sage Creek is one of the most prominent and defining characteristics of the student body, so it’s important to know where the lines are drawn and why.

It may not have been well-known before, but the rules regarding free speech change on a high school campus. What is allowed outside school doesn’t necessarily match what is allowed within public school bounds since the school ultimately has to take responsibility for students’ actions.

Senior Colton Dister believes that “we’re getting our education provided for us so we have to be polite, that’s what [the administrators] want in return … when you’re on campus, you’re getting this education, other people have to be there too, so you can see why they have to put some restrictions on it.”

During off-campus activities, Sage Creek is responsible for the students attending. These activities include sports games, dances, field trips, theatrical performances, etc.

Principal César Morales commented on the extent to which administration can get involved.

“If whatever happened is impacting you and your ability to learn, we have to get involved; if it’s impeding your ability to learn and feel safe and comfortable on this campus, the law says we need to get involved,” Morales said.

Students’ actions and conversations shouldn’t negatively interfere with another’s experience and education at the school, whether it’s on-campus or an off-campus activity.

Students should be “kind and courteous” to each other and shouldn’t cuss or use lewd language.

Obscene gestures and materials (including anything downloaded from the Internet) aren’t allowed, like profanity.

“When someone expresses something — whether it’s on social media, verbally, text message, hand-written paper note — whatever its platform is, what would a reasonable, rational individual interpret that as?” Morales further elaborated, “Sometimes I need to then curb someone’s speech because it’s impacting that ability to feel safe and comfortable and/or impacting the learning environment.”

Threatening physical injury on someone else, acting obscenely, regularly cussing or making vulgar references, disrupting school activities, and knowingly defying valid authority (supervisors, teachers, other school officials) all count as serious violations.

Morales explained the process of consequences for acting uncouthly.

“We try to do everything we can before we suspend a student … depending on the infraction, it could be a warning, it could be a parent conference, it could be a detention, it could be an in-school suspension, but the very last stretch that we try to get to is a suspension. And usually the only time we get to a suspension on an offense is that the individual has had prior interventions or prior warnings or prior opportunities to change that behavior.”

Sometimes, outfits can be counted as symbolic speech, depending on the circumstances. The established rules when it comes to dress code are that no clothing should promote drugs, alcohol, tobacco, violence and weapons, or sexual suggestions. If clothes have any association with illegal gangs or criminal groups, they’re banned too. Clothes shouldn’t include images or words offensive or degrading to any ethnic background, national origin, religious belief, gender, sexual orientation or disability.

With the Exercise Free Expression addition to the code, kids are allowed to express their beliefs and opinions as long as they avoid libel, obscenity, pornongraphy, intentional distortion/disregard of facts, invading privacy or disrupting anyone’s education. When it comes to “freedom of assembly,” students are allowed meeting whenever and wherever the group won’t disrupt anyone else’s education.

Senior Frances Parrott has seen in her time here that “Sage seems pretty open to allowing kids to express themselves … y‘know, people just generally have a voice on campus. Sometimes students get carried away and they have a hateful voice, but when we stick to having a positive voice, it’s a good voice.”

All these rules can be found in the Sage Creek Student Code of Conduct of the Handbook.

Morales sums up the guidelines as protecting students and ensuring “that they are also safe and comfortable because this is a space they need to coexist in.”

“I’m proud, I’m super proud of our students here and the culture we’ve created. Words really do matter so let’s choose them wisely and let’s express ourselves in a manner that we do get our point across and that we honor our differences and that we communicate in a way that you’re able to be heard versus you just simply talking.”