Opinion Number

Dear Mr. Burton:

You have requested our office to issue an opinion as to whether the Beauregard Parish School Board Policy No. BCBI at No. 8 which provides for public participation at the Beauregard Parish School Board meetings, but prohibits a speaker from making "charges or complaints against individual employees or Board members" is a violation of an individual's constitutional right to freedom of speech.

Specifically, policy No. BCBI, at No. 8 provides the following:

"Speakers may offer objective criticism of Board Policy, administrative procedures and programs: but the Board will not hear…