Committee approves substitute clarifying school 'equal access' and limits on mandatory open forums
Chairman Levert presented a substitute to SB 552 that tracks state-level equal-access language and clarifies schools are not required to open a forum and may restrict conduct that would cause material disruption; members worried K–12 schools that permit group use (e.g., Boy Scouts) could be compelled to allow political or ideological groups.
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Chairman Levert (Chairman) presented a substitute version of SB 552 described as a state counterpart to the federal Equal Access Act. The substitute adds text to clarify that nothing in the code "shall be construed or applied to require a public school to establish a limited open forum," and it lists exceptions schools may rely on to prohibit or restrict activities that "could reasonably be forecast to cause a material and substantial disruption" or infringe on other students’ rights.
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