• Student Journalism

    New Jersey law requires school districts to adopt a written policy concerning student freedom of expression in accordance with the provisions of the new statutes, P.L. 2021, c. 309, codified at N.J.S.A. 18A:36-44 and N.J.S.A. 18A:36-45. The new statutes include definitions; indicates a student journalist has the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press in school-sponsored media; provides student expression that is not protected expression by a student journalist; includes a process school officials must follow when it is believed the student expression in school-sponsored media is not protected; and provides an appeal process of a school official’s decision restraining student expression. In accordance with the new statutes, the Superintendent or designee shall determine reasonable provisions for the time, place, and manner of student expression for the purposes of school-sponsored media. Schools continue to have the right to determine the time, place, and manner of school-sponsored media as these provisions are locally determined and are unique to each school district’s student media program. 

     

    The Manasquan Board of Education has done a first reading of a new policy reflecting the requirements of the new law and it is anticipated this policy will be put into effect at the September 2022 Board meeting.