This case sounds like a kid’s dream: A New Jersey teen has won a $117,500 settlement against his school district for violating his free speech rights.
Two years ago Ryan Dwyer, now a junior, created a Web site on his own time, from home, criticizing the Maple Place School. Comments in the site’s guest book angered school officials who “suspended Dwyer for a week, benched him from playing on the baseball team for a month, and barred him from going on his class trip, among other discipline,” writes USA Today.
The district said anti-Semitic remarks were posted on the site, which Dwyer denied writing. But the youth’s parents said the school never let them know which school rule their son violated to earn such a punishment.
Dwyer and his parents sued the school over its move and he was just awarded a nice chunk of change. Now, Ryan, listen to us: This may work with school, it will not work with your eventual place of employment.
Via USA Today
