Florida High School Student Expelled After Disclosure Of Work In Porn Industry

We have previously discussed the increasing discipline of both students and teachers for conduct outside of the schools. Now a case in Central Florida raises a significant free speech issue after a student was kicked out of his high school, Cocoa High School, for working in the porn industry. At first glance, this might appear reasonable but the problem is that Robert Marucci is 18 and therefore allowed to work in the industry. The industry itself is legal. Thus, the school has expelled a student for engaging in lawful conduct that many feel is morally repulsive.

The problem for Marucci began after students at Cocoa High School discovered his videos on an adult website. The case reminded me of an earlier case where parents “discovered” a former porn actress working in the lunch room. There is no issue with the accusers surfing such sites but the actor is fired. Students then passed around Marucci’s graphic pictures and he was the target of bullies. The school however did not expel the bullies. It expelled Marucci who was engaged in a lawful industry as a consenting adult. He was a senior about to graduate.

His work in the industry was known to his mother, Melyssa Lieb, who said that her son was doing the work to support her financially. I find that particularly sad, but I have great difficulty with the school’s actions if they are expelled a student for lawful conduct outside of the school. Controversies over the involvement in this industry has largely focused on teachers who had prior careers as adults (here and here and here).

School officials insist that he was a distraction and even threatened to bring a weapon to school, which he denies. Moreover, Lieb says that the principal stated that “He was expelled due to his explicit lifestyle career.”

In the meantime, students staged a walkout in protest of their treatment of their classmate — showing again a stronger belief in free speech among students than their teachers.

If the school is now saying that he violated some school code, the family clearly wants the charges to be made public. Thus, there is no privacy issue if the family is waiving objections. I would be particularly interested in seeing not just the specific charges but how such cases have been handled in the past. I must confess that I am suspicious and skeptical when school officials cite undefined “violations” in a case involving a controversy over public morality values. There has been no statement from the principal, Dr. Stephanie Soliven (right).

Unless the school can come up with some major violation unrelated to Marucci’s work, he would well advised to follow his school’s motto: “Perseverance Commands Success.” Perseverance might involve a trip to the federal courthouse and success might require an injunctive order.