Schools
Right to free speech is center of mock trial students' case
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| SNP photo by Dan
Trittschuh Members of the Thomas Worthington High School mock trial team are (from left): row one-Amy Mo, Megan Lawson; row two-Jesse Hart, Andrew Paik, Lianna Havel and Marissa Ganzfried. Both Thomas and Kilbourne's teams will take part in district competition Friday, Feb. 5. |
* Worthington high schools' mock trial teams compete this week in downtown Columbus.
By PAMELA WILLIS
VIDEO
Mock trial students from Thomas Worthington and Worthington
Kilbourne high schools will argue as prosecutors and defense
attorneys this week as they gear up for Ohio's District Mock
Trial Competition.
The district competition in Franklin County will be held Friday, Feb. 5, at the Franklin County Courthouse.
Other Central Ohio high schools involved in the competition include Beechcroft, Brookhaven, Centennial, Columbus Alternative, Dublin Jerome, East, Eastmoor Academy, Fort Hayes, Grove City, Hilliard Davidson, Northland, Reynoldsburg, DeSales, Upper Arlington and Westerville North.
Thomas adviser Paul Nick said in this year's trial case, students will consider what constitutes a violation of First Amendment rights.
"A fictional high school student created a blog that started out social but evolved into a disrespectful diatribe against an honors history teacher," Nick said. "The teacher complained to the principal, who learned the students were accessing the blog from the school's Wi-Fi network, so the principal shut down the network, causing all kinds of havoc for teachers.
"The principal suspended the student for violating their rules of conduct, and the student is suing for an injunction because the student claims the school is violating the students' First Amendment rights," he said.
The regional competition will be held Feb. 26 at the same location.
Nick said students are practicing various roles in the competition, which include acting as prosecuting or defense attorneys and as witnesses.
Kilbourne's team will be coached by Tom Novack.
Nick said both high schools' teams are working hard to prepare for the event.
"I feel confident they'll do well again this year, but you can never be sure, since it all depends who they end up competing against," he said.
The Ohio Mock Trial Program was established by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education in 1983.
It is a statewide program designed to help students become more aware of their constitutional rights and responsibilities, according to information at the center's Web site.
The district competition in Franklin County will be held Friday, Feb. 5, at the Franklin County Courthouse.
Other Central Ohio high schools involved in the competition include Beechcroft, Brookhaven, Centennial, Columbus Alternative, Dublin Jerome, East, Eastmoor Academy, Fort Hayes, Grove City, Hilliard Davidson, Northland, Reynoldsburg, DeSales, Upper Arlington and Westerville North.
Thomas adviser Paul Nick said in this year's trial case, students will consider what constitutes a violation of First Amendment rights.
"A fictional high school student created a blog that started out social but evolved into a disrespectful diatribe against an honors history teacher," Nick said. "The teacher complained to the principal, who learned the students were accessing the blog from the school's Wi-Fi network, so the principal shut down the network, causing all kinds of havoc for teachers.
"The principal suspended the student for violating their rules of conduct, and the student is suing for an injunction because the student claims the school is violating the students' First Amendment rights," he said.
The regional competition will be held Feb. 26 at the same location.
Nick said students are practicing various roles in the competition, which include acting as prosecuting or defense attorneys and as witnesses.
Kilbourne's team will be coached by Tom Novack.
Nick said both high schools' teams are working hard to prepare for the event.
"I feel confident they'll do well again this year, but you can never be sure, since it all depends who they end up competing against," he said.
The Ohio Mock Trial Program was established by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education in 1983.
It is a statewide program designed to help students become more aware of their constitutional rights and responsibilities, according to information at the center's Web site.