A 14-year-old boy from Franklin Township, Pa., which is near Pittsburgh, has been expelled from school for more than a year for writing rap lyrics the school authorities deemed threatening and harassing. That has prompted the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Riverside School District.
The Beaver County Times reports that Anthony Latour was expelled for writing rap lyrics that made references to shooting up his school, police officers and teachers. School officials found out about the lyrics which Latour wrote himself--but never brought to school--last April. They expelled him for the remainder of the school year, as well as the upcoming school year. In a news conference on Wednesday, Latour said, "I just want to go back to making my music."
Latour's legal counsel, Kim Watterson, says the boy's rap lyrics were misunderstood by school officials. She said he participates in something called "battle rap" in which two rappers communicate through lyrics in a kind of verbal "jousting" to determine who is the better rapper, reports the Beaver Valley Times. The four songs that resulted in the expulsion were never brought to school and some of the lyrics were never even written down; however, Latour sold CDs containing the songs. The principal admitted that the songs did not cause problems in school. Anthony's father, John Latour, said his son was never asked about the meaning of the lyrics or if he intended to carry out violent acts.
Meanwhile, in a news release the ACLU said "School officials are not parents, and the First Amendment limits their authority to control what students read, write, rap or listen to in their own homes." Watterson said in the news release, "Many people don't like or understand rap music, and some people won't like Anthony's lyrics. But since these songs do not contain what's known in the law as 'true threats,' school officials and local police cannot make the music a crime simply because they find the lyrics offensive."
