WEEK 1 DISCUSSION A

WEEK 1 DISCUSSION A

The United States Constitution is the supreme body of law in the United States, meaning that every law passed by the government—regardless of what level of government—must comply with it. High school athletics administrators consistently implement rules regarding high school athletes to ensure a safe environment for competition and fair play. Must these rules comply with the United States Constitution? This week’s Discussion will consider Constitutional-based claims made by high school athletes in response to the application of rules against them.

Discussion A: Constitutional Law and Social Media

The constitutional law standards we have explored in the Learning Materials related to high school sports also apply to college sports. Recently, some college coaches have been limiting their athletes’ access to social media, and in some cases, have even banned the use of it. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution grants the right to freedom of speech. Thus, the question becomes, does the banning or limitation of a team’s social media usage by a coach violate a student-athlete’s constitutional rights?

By Tuesday, 11:59 p.m. ET:

Post a 250-word response in which you explain whether a coach at a public state university who limits or bans athletes’ access to social media violates a student-athlete’s constitutional rights.

· Provide support for your position by using the analysis learned this week related to state action and substantive due process to explain your reasoning.

· Suggest strategies a college athletics department could use to address the social media issue without banning student-athletes’ access to it.