A UF sophomore received a status update on a lawsuit her mother filed in 2007 against her high school principal.
A federal judge ruled Katherine Evans can move forward with a suit she filed after her principal suspended her for creating a Facebook page critical of her high school English teacher, according to court documents found on the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida Web site.
On the Facebook page, Evans described her teacher as “the worst teacher she ever had.”
Maria Kayanan, one of Evans’ lawyers and the associate legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said moving forward with the lawsuit represents a significant step for student rights related to social networking Web sites.
“It’s a recognition by the court that her speech was protected by the First Amendment, and the principal should have known that,” she said.
Evans said she is hoping to have the suspension removed from her academic record.
"The case pretty much speaks for itself, and my rights were violated," she said.
According to the court documents, she hopes to be compensated for being deprived of her First Amendment rights and also hopes to receive money for attorney fees.
Students who use Facebook for academic purposes should not worry about getting in trouble for what they post, Kayanan said.
“Students’ opinions of their teachers are protected, as long as they don’t urge violence,” Kayanan said.
