Court Allows Student Distribution of Gospel Tracts

In Leal v. Everett Public Schools, (WD WA, May 29, 2015), a Washington federal district court entered an order (full text) expunging the suspensions of high school senior Michael Leal who has been disciplined for insisting on handing out gospel tracts to fellow students.  The court also held that the portion of Everett Public Schools' policies that allow a student to hand out literature only if it is written or produced by the student violates Leal's free speech rights.  However, the court permitted the school to limit the locations and times at which Leal can hand out literature, and limit his preaching to a free speech area.  The court spelled out the reasons for its order in a ruling from the bench. King5 News reports on the decision as does a press release from Pacific Justice Institute.