The Philadelphia School Reform Commission filed suit against several students who staged a protest at the commission's controversial meeting on Wednesday when it announced that more than 40 city schools would be privatized.
The commission contends that the students' protest prevented district employees from getting to work and seeks a permanent injunction to prevent future protests. The students, however, claim that their actions are protected by the First Amendment.
Common Pleas Court Judge Albert Snite Jr. did not rule on the case yet. Instead, the parties were asked to turn in written proposals for future protests yesterday.
The students' blockade prevented the commission members from meeting inside the school district's administration building. Instead, the meeting was moved to the African American Museum.
At the meeting, the commission announced that 70 schools are slated for reform by next fall, 42 of which will be run by private organizations, including for-profit and non-profit groups.
Ever since the state-takeover of Philadelphia's schools was announced last December, many parent, student and teacher groups have been protesting any privatization plans for the district. Several of these groups have been involved in lawsuits against the commission, claiming that their right to local control of the schools has been violated. Thus far, none of these lawsuits have been successful.
In this most recent lawsuit, the School Reform Commission is requesting that rules be imposed for any future demonstrations at the district's administration building. The rules include a restriction that protesters keep at least 15 feet away from doorways and remain outside the courtyard of the building.
According to the commission, these restrictions will prevent district employees from being unable to reach the building, as it claims was the case on Wednesday.
"The protest last week cost the district $200,000 and it will cost $200,000 every day that [the students] do not allow district employees to go to work," commission spokeswoman Heidi Gold said.
The students involved in the lawsuit, however, claim that these restrictions are too broad and restrict their First Amendment rights. The students' parents were served with court papers on Thursday. The hearing was held on Friday.
While he has not yet ruled on the commission's requested injunction, Snite did require that each of the students write a 200-word essay about what they learned in court.
Snite will make a decision on the requested injunction by tomorrow. The commission remains firm that its requests do not attempt to abridge the students' freedom of speech. They are not opposed to future protests, but rather, future disruptions to the ability of district employees to carry out their jobs.
"We're asking the judge to prevent employees from being blocked out in the future," Gold said. "We don't want to stop the students' [freedom of speech] but when that doesn't allow employees to go to work, then it's a problem. We don't mind protests, but let employees get into the buildings."
