Skip to Content

Can Schools Limit Parents’ Hostile Speech: Federal Court Says Yes

K-12 Education Publications

Originally posted on our Special Education Law Insights Blog.

School personnel should expect to encounter a heated parent from time to time; parents are often understandably passionate about their children’s educations. But what happens when parental advocacy escalates from vigorous advocacy, strenuous objections, and detailed questions to baseless accusations, repeated demands, and threatening or vulgar language or actions? What can a school do when a parent’s hostile behavior continues over time, putting a strain on staff members’ time and impeding productive communication? A recent case out of the Ninth Circuit examined just such a situation and affirmed the rights of schools to put in place reasonable limits on communication.

Read more on our Special Education Law Insights Blog.