California Journalism Teacher Protection Act Becomes Law

Last week Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed one of the toughest laws protecting journalism teachers against unfair retaliation when they stand up for their students' First Amendment right of free speech. Known as Senate Bill 1370, it was sponsored by California State Senator Leland Yee, a champion of student free expression.

"While this law makes the workplace safer for teachers, the real beneficiaries are California's students, who no longer must fear that honest reporting on school events will get their favorite teacher fired," Student Press Law Center Executive Director Frank D. LoMonte said. "Governor Schwarzenegger and the California legislature should be commended for sending a message to school officials -- in California and across the nation -- that teachers are not to be used as pawns to intimidate kids into avoiding legitimate topics of discussion."

Public high school and college journalists have free-speech rights protected by California law, even if their publishers — principals and administrators — don't like it. Often that puts the journalism adviser in a spot: Student journalists can criticize the administration with impunity. The faculty adviser may take the heat.

"Teachers losing their jobs for refusing to censor their students' news reporting is a real and pervasive problem, and it is going on all too commonly in America's schools," LoMonte said.

It's not easy to be a faculty adviser. But it's now a little safer.