La Jolla High School (LJHS) has revised its free-speech policy as part of a lawsuit settlement agreement between the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) following controversy last year over the high school’s “senior benches” and claims of free speech violations. The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of then-senior Yumehiko Hoshijima after political messages written on three campus benches, which have traditionally been designated for student messages, were painted over by school administration under the direction of LJHS Principal Dana Shelburne, according to the ACLU’s complaint. The high school and school district have revised administration procedures and policies to ensure students’ rights to exercise free speech so long as messages are not “obscene, libelous or slanderous” or incite unlawful acts on school premises or substantially disrupt the operation of the school. Following anti-government protests in Iran on Feb. 14 last year, students from the high school’s Persian Club painted “Freedom for Iran” and “Down with the Dictator” on the campus benches. After the school’s administration blanketed the messages with white paint, Hoshijima painted “Freedom for LJHS & Iran” and “Ed. Code 48907” on the benches the following day, according to the complaint. Hoshijima’s messages were also whitewashed, and campus administration proceeded to revise its free-speech policy in the student information packet, stating the senior benches are “reserved for positive messages about LJHS students and school activities.” The high school’s latest revision is consistent with SDUSD’s rewritten administrative procedure on student free speech, which assures that students’ rights to exercise free speech is protected under the First Amendment to U.S. Constitution, Article 1 of the California Constitution, and California Education Code 48907. SDUSD also revised its administrative procedure as part of the settlement agreement.