Denver high school violated First Amendment rights of student journalist who documented strike conditions, attorney alleges

The Denver Post: The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, the Student Press Law Center and a private attorney entered the fray Wednesday over student journalists’ right to document what’s happening inside their schools during Denver’s teachers strike.

Denver attorney Gregory Szewczyk charged that in at least one case at East High School, a student journalist’s First Amendment rights had been violated by a school principal.

Students across Denver have been filming and photographing the happenings inside their schools during the strike that began three days ago.

They’ve posted their findings on social media, and some student journalists shared photos and video with The Denver Post after the press largely was barred from Denver’s public schools during the teacher walkout.

The Student Press Law Center connected Toby Lichtenwalter, the executive producer of East High School’s student broadcast team, with Szewczyk after the teen reported he was given an ultimatum by his principal on Monday.

Lichtenwalter told the lawyer that he was told to stop filming and taking photos inside East High — or leave school property. So he left.

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