EDITORIAL -- FEATURE SPOT, Letters to the Editor, Opinion
 By  Staff Reports Published 
3:24 pm Wednesday, February 6, 2019

What First Amendment rights do parents have?

To the editor,

What First Amendment rights do parents have when they request to address a local school board meeting?

The ability to speak directly to a school board is perhaps the purest and most basic form of citizen participation. When speakers who have been restrained from commenting at public meetings bring constitutional challenges, they’ve generally been successful. Judges have no difficulty recognizing that a government meeting is meant for the airing of complaints, even if that requires naming or criticizing a particular employee.

It’s important for parent advocates who may find themselves speaking before school boards to appreciate the strong First Amendment protection for citizen speech to government officials addressing matters of public concern.

Indeed, the First Amendment not only protects the freedom of speech but also the freedom to petition government officials for the redress of grievances, and a restraint on speech to school boards jeopardizes both of these rights.
When a member of the public takes to the microphone to complain about a school superintendent’s performance, it’s almost always because lower-volume options have been tried and failed. When a parent feels compelled to resort to the podium to air a grievance, it should be recognized as suggesting a weakness in the school superintendent’s dispute-resolution process.
Nov. 13, 2018, I sent Mr. Greg Hamilton a letter stating I expected a written response from him as well as a follow-up phone call to explain to me how he was going to address my daughter’s unexcused absences at Tharptown Elementary School. I never received a letter or phone call so went to the school board office and asked for an appointment to see Mr. Hamilton, and no appointment was ever made for me.

I then went back to the school board office in early December 2018 and asked to be put on the January 2019 school board meeting agenda to address the board about their student absentee policies. My request was ignored.

Sincerely,
Junior Vinson

Also on Franklin County Times
Case on injury of student moves to Franklin
Main, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
September 3, 2025
TUSCUMBIA — The Police Department has transferred the case involving a 15-year-old Deshler High School freshman who was seriously injured outside the ...
Council’s goals: More industry, infrastructure improvements
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
September 3, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Mayor David Grissom and the Russellville City Council are preparing to begin new four-year terms Nov. 3, with a focus ongrowth,infrastr...
Ex-Russellville superintendent Ray remembered
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
September 3, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE -- Dr. Wayne Ray, who served as superintendent of Russellville City Schools from 2000 to 2008, died Aug. 27 at age 82. Ray spent 44 years...
Third annual cruise-in returns to Roxy Sept. 13
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
September 3, 2025
Downtown Russellville will be buzzing again soon when classic cars and old memories cruise back to the historic Roxy Theatre for the third annual crui...
Grants help Tharptown shine in athletics, the arts
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
September 3, 2025
RUSSELVILLE — Recent Northwest Resource Conservation & Development Council funding is giving students at Tharptown High School new opportunities both ...
Family brings flavor to AWF cook-offs
News
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
September 3, 2025
Kin Merchant began competing in the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s annual Wild Game Cook-offs the same year he enrolled as a culinary student at the Un...
RHS drops home opener to Mars Hill
B: Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
Brannon King For the FCT 
September 3, 2025
The Russellville Golden Tigers fell to 0-2 on the varsity football season with a 47-19 loss to the Mars Hill Panthers before a home crowd. Mars Hill j...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *