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If a measure working its way through the General Assembly becomes law, Maryland school systems would be required to allow students to engage in peaceful demonstrations.
It would also seek to clarify the restrictions that administrators can impose in the interests of safety, according to the measure鈥檚 sponsor, Del. Eric D. Ebersole (D-Baltimore and Howard counties), a retired teacher.
鈥淚t鈥檚 supposed to create rules that the school understands, so we don鈥檛 interrupt the school day and instruction, but at the same time let students know how to proceed so that they can demonstrate without having an uneven disciplinary policy,鈥� the lawmaker said on Friday.
Ebersole鈥檚 bill,聽, is a top priority of the Maryland Student Coalition, an advocacy organization made up of young people from around the state.
Debates over how to handle campus demonstrations go back decades, but they have taken on renewed urgency in recent years, as young people have sought to speak out on social justice, climate change, gun violence and other issues.
Ebersole鈥檚 bill passed the House of Delegates on a largely party-line vote, 97-39, on March 29. It had a hearing in the Senate Environmental Affairs, Health and Education Committee on Thursday.
If approved by both chambers and signed by Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), school systems would be required to develop a student protest policy. Such policies may include restrictions on speech intended to 鈥渉arass, threaten or intimidate other people.鈥�
To give school administrators time to prepare, it would also require that students provide 48-hours notice before holding a demonstration.
Jason Wu, a senior at Poolesville High School and the student member of the Maryland State Board of Education, told lawmakers that 鈥渁s students, our First Amendment right to free speech is perhaps our greatest ability to effect change.鈥�
Hunter Craig, the assistant director of the student coalition, said of the 2018 鈥渨alk-outs鈥� that occurred nationwide, and at his school, following the massacre in Parkland, Fla., 鈥淚 will never forget this experience and the role we all played in making our voices heard.鈥�
鈥淗owever, this opportunity is not equal throughout the state of Maryland,鈥� he added.
Jennifer Mallo, the vice-chairwoman of the Howard County Board of Education, urged the Senate committee to make two changes to the bill, including the ban on demonstrations on school buses.
That prompted committee Chairman Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince George鈥檚) to suggest that the Howard board incorporate their ideas in the county鈥檚 demonstration policy after the bill becomes law.
鈥淎re you sort of punting it to us?鈥� he asked.
Mallo replied that the Howard board is 鈥渓ooking out for the interests of all students in Maryland.鈥�
Local educators would be allowed to set 鈥渞easonable limitations鈥� on the timing and location of student demonstrations to safeguard students and personnel. They could also take steps to 鈥渕inimize disruption to the educational environment.鈥�
But principals and others would be prohibited from imposing 鈥渓imits that substantially inhibit a student鈥檚 right to free speech.鈥�
Del. Haven Shoemaker (R-Carroll), who voted against the measure in committee and on the House floor, said he supports students鈥� rights of expression.
鈥淗owever, I believe that school time is for education, and if students want to protest, they should have at it, but on their own time,鈥� he said.
Although there is only a week left in this year鈥檚 legislative session, committee chairman Pinsky appeared to suggest that Ebersole鈥檚 bill has a good chance of passage.
鈥淣o one has signed up in opposition 鈥� either oral or written,鈥� he told members of the public who signed-up to testify. 鈥淪o let us please be succinct, and not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.鈥�
