Court sides with expelled student over memes deemed a threat

By MARK SCOLFORO
Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s high court says district administrators overreached when they permanently expelled a 17-year-old high school student for sending Snapchat messages that referred to another student as a potential school shooter. The justices ruled Wednesday that such communications must be analyzed in context and the primary focus should be the speaker’s intent. The Manheim Township School District high school junior was suspended and expelled over messages sent to a friend in April 2018. The messages ridiculed a third student who had long hair and wore T-shirts bearing the name of death metal band Cannibal Corpse.