Last fall’s controversy at Marshall Elementary School in Eureka, in which elementary students reportedly had their freedom of speech protections denied, inspired SB 421, which prohibits discrimination or penalties for religious, political, or ideological viewpoints expressed in classwork, speech, attire, or student-organized activities. The measure was debated before the Senate Education Committee. Testimonies begin here at the 28:00 mark.
The legislation is patterned after the Safeguarding Personal Expression at K-12 Schools (SPEAKS) Act, proposed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
The bill reads in part:
No student shall be discriminated against or penalized by a school for:
Engaging in religious, political or ideological speech or expressing a religious, political or ideological viewpoint in the same time, place and manner and to the same extent that other similarly situated students may engage in speech or express viewpoints at school; or
