District seeks appeal in ruling
NEW CASTLE, Pa. (AP) -- A school district asked the state Supreme Court to allow it to appeal a case involving a newspaper's bid for information in a lawsuit settlement.
Last month, a Commonwealth Court panel found the New Castle Area School District engaged in "wanton and willful disregard" for the right of the New Castle News to find out how much money three pupils received in a legal settlement over the school dress code.
Two high-school students and a sixth-grader, through their parents or guardians, filed two federal civil-rights lawsuits against the district in September 2004. They claimed their free-speech rights were violated when they were suspended for wearing unapproved patches on their school uniforms.
A settlement was negotiated in April 2005, but the district insisted that it include a confidentiality provision.
Commonwealth Court also said the district had to pay the paper's legal fees.
The district's solicitor said the law was unreasonably interpreted.
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