Students Invited to Enter $1,000 Essay Contest

All Connecticut high school students are invited to submit entries in the 2012 First Amendment Essay Contest, sponsored by the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut, with a top prize of $1,000.

 This year's essay question is: A new Connecticut law requires schools to prohibit bullying, including communication that causes “emotional harm.” Explain whether the mandate to stop bullying can be reconciled with the right to freedom of speech and support your argument.

Essays should not exceed 1,000 words; there is no minimum length. Winning entries in the past have been based on students' own opinions and experiences, as well as on real cases that have helped develop the law.

All entries will be judged by a balanced panel of experts who will rate entries based on understanding of the First Amendment, persuasiveness, creativity and grammar. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 8.

The contest is a legacy of the Center for First Amendment Rights, which was merged into the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut in 2008. Prizes will be awarded at the at the Annual Milton-Sorokin Symposium at the University of Connecticut School of Law on April 19, 2012. The Ethel S. Sorokin First Prize is $1,000, second prize is $500 and third is $250.

Complete rules and instructions, with links to suggested resources, are available at acluct.org/essay.