New Castle school district misses deadline

NEW CASTLE, Pa. (AP) -- A school district was too late in asking the state Supreme Court to allow it to appeal a case involving a newspaper's bid for information in a lawsuit settlement, the court found.
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 students received in a legal settlement over the school dress code.
The district sought an appeal, saying the law was unreasonably interpreted. The Supreme Court's Office of the Prothonotary said the district's request to appeal arrived in Harrisburg on Tuesday, missing the deadline by four days.
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.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.