Historical Pragmatics: Evidence From The Old Bailey - Archer
The central legal question in Archer v. Lamattina was whether public schools have the authority to discipline students for off-campus, online speech that does not cause a “substantial disruption” of the school environment. The defense relied on the Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling in Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. , which involved a similar case of a student’s off-campus Snapchat post. In Mahanoy , the Court ruled that schools have less authority over off-campus speech, particularly when it is not disruptive, harassing, or aimed at a specific student. bailey archer