A student claims Albuquerque Public Schools violated her free speech rights after being disciplined for a Snapchat post
The student, known as N.S., filed her complaint in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque. Her father, Bruce Sers, is representing her. A hearing is set for Friday with Judge Matthew L. Garcia.
N.S. is a senior and has named several school officials in her lawsuit, including the principal and the activities director. Her attorney is pushing for a temporary restraining order to keep her in her leadership role.
The trouble started on November 12 when N.S. had a disagreement with another student. The activities director, George Woods, told them to resolve it. N.S. later apologized, but the next day, she was suspended from student senate activities for the rest of the semester.
After leaving school, N.S. posted a message on Snapchat expressing her frustration about being suspended. She deleted the post later that night, but it led to her being removed from her vice president position and community service class.
Her attorney argues that the school’s actions were retaliatory and violated her rights, referencing a similar Supreme Court case involving a Pennsylvania student.
In response, APS officials denied any wrongdoing, claiming N.S.’s speech wasn’t protected and that her case is different from the Supreme Court’s. They argue she broke trust with an adviser rather than just using inappropriate language.
N.S. is asking the court to reinstate her as vice president, allow her back into her community service class, and lift restrictions on her speaking at graduation. She also wants the court to declare the school’s actions unconstitutional and cover her legal fees.
