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OUR VIEW Our View: Court issues civics lesson to school district Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News A federal judge's ruling that the Eagle Point School District violated the free-speech rights of striking teachers and a student amounts to a civics lesson for district officials, but it doesn't mean the district has to allow anything teachers want to do should another strike occur. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Michael McShane incorporated findings and recommendations issued in April by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Clarke. Clarke found restrictions imposed in advance of the strike on picketing teachers went too far, calling them "reactionary, fear-based policies." Before teachers went out on strike May 8, 2012, the Eagle Point School Board adopted resolutions banning all signs and banners from district property without advance approval from Superintendent Cynda Rickert and barring all picketers from any district property. Clarke correctly noted that the resolutions amounted to prior restraint of free speech, coming as they did before any picketing had occurred. He also said the blanket ban went beyond reasonable restrictions on the time, place and manner of picketing or demonstrations. Certainly, the district has a responsibility to protect the learning environment for students. Picketers should not have the right to disrupt classes with noise, block entrances to school property or otherwise interfere with school operations. The courts have consistently upheld reasonable restrictions on the time, place and manner of speech as long as those restrictions do not favor one point of view over another. But in this case, the district imposed restrictions before the strike began, in an apparent attempt to prevent any picketing or expressions of support for the union's position on school property, even outside of school hours. The restrictions also resulted in a student being told she could not park on school property because her car displayed a sign supporting striking teachers. Displaying a sign hardly amounts to disrupting or interfering with school operations. District officials said they were acting on the advice of the Oregon School Boards Association. In light of the ruling, the association may want to rethink its advice.  Rickert said she will take the matter to the School Board on Wednesday to discuss a potential appeal. The district is entitled to do that, but if the ruling is eventually upheld, officials in the future will have to do what they should have done in the first place: Dial back the restrictions to something less than a blanket ban on all pro-union speech, and impose time, place and manner rules designed to protect the educational process without limiting teachers' right to express their views. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 19, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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