A judge in Oklahoma ruled on Monday that a parent can still enter a school after confronting a school board member and a reporter about the contents of the library.
Timothy Reiland, whose daughter brought home a book, confronted the school board members at a meeting on October 10. The book he was protesting was Craig Thompson's "Blankets," which is a memoir about his sexual abuse and first love.
At first, he was hoping that the board members would vote to ban pornography from the library. Instead, they decided to hold a special meeting to discuss the issue.
After the meeting, which was for board member Brent England, Reiland waited in the parking lot to question the board's decision. He told a reporter that the members' decision was "bulls—t."
Following the meeting, England and Reiland got into a heated argument. This prompted Owasso Superintendent Margaret C Coates to send him a letter, which stated that he had violated the district's peaceful conduct policy. The letter effectively barred him from the school. He then filed a lawsuit against the school district.
The school district claimed that his interaction with the reporter and England, as well as his conversation with the board member, did not constitute protected speech. According to the ruling, the officials of the school district were motivated by their desire to create a safe environment.
After hearing arguments on November 14, a federal judge ruled that the school district's ban on Reiland's access to the property was unconstitutional. According to the ruling, the officials were only trying to suppress his speech because they did not like what he had to say.
Despite the outcome of the court proceedings, the school district still maintained that it did not violate his free speech rights. The issue was about the actions taken after the meeting on October 10. The district noted that the actions taken against him were the result of his conduct following the meeting.
In response to the court's ruling, the school district stated that it values the First Amendment right to free speech. However, it also noted that it is important that the environment is free of intimidation and harassment.
A press release from a group that supports parents stated that the court ruled that the school district violated the free speech rights of Tim Reiland. He was banned from the school after he stood up against the pornography in the library. The release also noted that the district's actions were in violation of his parental rights to raise his children and direct their education.
On the same day that the judge ruled that the school district violated the free speech rights of Tim Reiland, the board of education voted to update its library policy. The new policy will allow parents or legal guardians to restrict access to the materials in the library.
Before the vote was taken, which was part of the regular meeting of the school board, Reiland gave a public comment period. He thanked the officials for their efforts and said that he was pleased with the new policy.
He was elated by the outcome of the court proceedings and the school board's decision to update its library policy.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Cable.
