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Sarasota school board votes 3'2 to advertise policy restricting student demonstrations after heated public comment
Summary
After nearly three hours of public comment and board debate, the Sarasota County School Board voted 3' 2 to advertise proposed policy 5.301 on student disruptions and demonstrations, prompting concerns from students, parents and teachers that the language is vague and could chill free expression.
The Sarasota County School Board voted 3' 2 on Tuesday to advertise a proposed policy, 5.301, that would define and set disciplinary pathways for student demonstrations and related conduct on school campuses. The vote follows more than two hours of public comment and a lengthy board discussion about safety, legal limits and the policy's wording.
Supporters of advertising the policy said the district needs clear, content-neutral rules to protect instructional time and student safety. "Students have the right to express themselves, but expression cannot come at the expense of the learning environment," said Lieutenant Colonel Duff Smiley, a Sarasota County resident who urged dissemination of the draft so the community understands boundaries and consequences.
Opponents—many of them students, parents and teachers—said the draft is vague,…
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