1st Amendment groups call for probe of Huntsville school social media policy

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -

Two national First Amendment rights groups are calling for a Congressional investigation into possible National Security Agency involvement in Huntsville City Schools.

Last week, the district alerted the public about the SAFE program, or Students Against Fear. They launched SAFE at the beginning of the calendar year. District leaders said they've punished nearly two dozen students since the program's inception. That includes one student Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski said the government contacted them about.

An NSA spokesperson told us they are not the government agency that called the district.

Both the Electronic Frontier Foundation out of San Francisco, and the Student Press Law Center out of Washington, D.C. are following this developing story.

The involvement of the NSA, or the reported involvement of the NSA, is what makes this a national story, said Frank LoMonte, executive director of the SPLC.

Both groups said they want Congress to help get to the bottom of who contacted Huntsville City Schools. LoMonte said if any part of this story is true, it's a big deal because it brings in possible government domestic spying questions.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is calling for a congressional committee to step in. They want something similar to the Church Commission that looked into government intelligence gathering in the 1970's. In a statement, the group said:

Whether the NSA is behind the school district's program or not, this episode illustrates how far the public's perception has come regarding privacy and mass surveillance. We've longed called for a new "Church Commission" to investigate all aspects of domestic surveillance by the NSA and other intelligence agencies. Such an investigation could get to the bottom of the Huntsville controversy. Opacity fuels distrust.

Congressman Mo Brooks is downplaying Congress getting involved.

Read more:
1st Amendment groups call for probe of Huntsville school social media policy