A good teaching moment on Constitution for DeKalb

“Congress shall make no law … abridging freedom of speech.”

Indeed, the right to free speech is among our most cherished values.

Thanks to the First Amendment, your daily newspaper can hold elected officials accountable, without fear of censorship — or worse.

You can organize demonstrations, take part in rallies, sign petitions and hand out flyers to address injustices and right wrongs.

And, if you’re a high school freshman, you’re allowed to criticize your principal.

As basic as it sounds, the DeKalb County school system apparently forgot that the U.S. Constitution applies to students. Just ask Keegan Brooks. Last year, while he was a freshman at Chamblee Charter High School, Brooks heard rumblings about the principal’s management style and made stickers calling for the principal to be fired. School administrators deemed it a disturbance, and they suspended Brooks for one day.

His family filed a lawsuit. This was about something much more important than a suspension.

The district apparently saw the error of its ways, recently settling the suit and agreeing to pay Keegan’s family $45,000. The school system will also train principals on new rules regarding what constitutes a “disruption.”

Brooks, now 14, is a brave young man.

“I learned how you can make a difference,” he said, “There’s nothing wrong in expressing your opinion if you feel like there’s something that should change.”

As for the school system — and for others across the country — hopefully they’ve learned, as well.

The Editorial Board.