From the School Newsroom to the Courtroom. Lessons on the Hazelwood Case and Free Expression Policy Making in the Public Schools.

The purpose of this lesson packet is to raise issues about student rights of free expression in public schools. Included are preparatory reading material and two classroom simulation activities. The lessons are based on the U.S. Supreme Court case of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, in which a Missouri high school principal and school district were sued by students for censoring controversial feature articles in a school newspaper. Part 1 presents the legal background of the Hazelwood case, discussing the U.S. Constitution and various court decisions regarding free expression, due process, and the rights of schools and the local, state and federal governments. Part 2 gives the background of the Hazelwood case, and discusses the development of relevant legal issues such as "public forum" and "compelling interest." Part 3 presents a simulation exercise, a moot court activity in which teams of students represent attorneys for petitioners and respondents, and Supreme Court justices. Part 4 summarizes the arguments presented by both the majority and the dissenting justices in the Hazelwood case. Part 5 presents a simulation activity in which students engage in a policy debate on the rights of student journalists. Included in the packet are profiles of former Hazelwood East High School student Leslie Smart and principal Robert E. Reynolds, and a teacher's guide to the lessons. (AS)