About

Freedom of Expression & Civil Discourse

McDonogh School teaches students how to think and not what to think. As LifeReady, our academic vision, promises, McDonogh graduates “self-reliant, critical thinkers who can form, test, and revise their ideas — for themselves, and in the service of others.” To develop these abilities and to be truly inclusive and respectful, teachers and students must invite and analyze all debatable ideas and points of view. Critical reasoning remains a core competency for college and career, but just as importantly, the ability to understand, evaluate, and act on ideas responsibly prepares students for healthy democratic participation for life.

While a culture of inclusion protects freedom of expression, such protection does not render all knowledge and opinion equally “true.” For students to construct the most complete understanding of a disputable issue or concept, they must build such knowledge for themselves. This requires the hard work of analysis, perspective-taking, debate, reflection, and application. Through such methods, we honor the diversity of thought in a pluralist culture as we work towards sound, evidence-based positions and conclusions. Members of our community may find certain ideas that emerge when wrestling with sensitive topics untenable — even offensive — from time to time; in such moments of friction, however, we can help our students learn to resolve conflict, to reason well, and to communicate their own positions. 

WHAT WE TEACH – AND WHY

Schools have a unique responsibility to serve as places of inquiry, deep curiosity, and ever-emerging understanding. McDonogh lays the groundwork for teaching strong reasoning and for civic participation when students have the freedom to express their considered ideas in safe and productive ways. To this end, we believe in our obligation to:

• Allow any topic to be studied in developmentally appropriate ways. 
• Insist that teachers facilitate the study and discussion of potentially divisive topics such that the topic’s complexity is understood without teachers expressing their own personal views. 
• Provide students with the safety to arrive at their own insights and conclusions.

McDonogh provides a forum where diverse points of view can be discussed, evaluated, challenged, more fully understood, and, as appropriate, acted upon. This practice enables students to graduate with the knowledge and ability to arrive at thoughtful beliefs, developed through civil discourse — strategies and interpersonal behaviors that help people to listen, share, understand, think, and debate — so that they become trusted stewards of democracy.

Free Speech, Civil Discourse & The Role of Education

McDonogh expects freedom of expression to produce passionate, spirited debate from time to time. The School believes deeply in the value of freedom of expression and civil discourse and is willing to risk unrehearsed moments when language has the potential to offend. In fact, as a school, McDonogh anticipates such unintended instances, for they provide opportunities for teaching about how we may better engage in productive, respectful civil discourse and debate — even when we may continue to disagree about ideas. Language that willfully jeopardizes, dehumanizes, or threatens the safety of a person or group, however, is not aligned with our values. As a result of this commitment, McDonogh intends to graduate students who live and act through strong democratic principles who will mature into model citizens of superb character and service.

Guiding Principles for Navigating Our Complex Society

In today's increasingly interconnected world, we are frequently confronted with local and global issues that challenge our values and ideals. Furthermore, we acknowledge that McDonogh’s many constituents — administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents, grandparents, and alumni — have diverse and deeply held personal beliefs and are affected differently by world events. 

At McDonogh, it is rare that we will send communitywide communication on complex societal issues and events that do not directly impact our School operation. While there is often pressure for educational leaders to take stances, trust that our focus is always on carrying out our mission, vision, and values. We stand firm that there is no room in our world for hate, prejudice, or bigotry, and we unequivocally condemn such sentiments at School and in society.   

The teachers in our community are educators, not experts on complicated political and cultural issues. Communicating an institutional position jeopardizes our ability to foster a community where freedom of expression is protected and everyone feels a true sense of belonging. 

Our approach to moments of tension and crisis will be grounded in the following two principles. 

Prioritizing the Safety and Well-being of Students, Faculty, and Staff: We will prioritize offering the support necessary for students, faculty, and staff who may be struggling. This includes but is not limited to providing resources, gatherings, check-ins, and educational programs. It is important to recognize that faculty are often supporting their students while navigating complex situations and processing information in real time. 

Focusing on Freedom of Expression and Civil Discourse: As part of LifeReady learning, we encourage community members to engage with difficult topics while they deepen their capacity as curious, civil, and intellectual human beings. This position protects and nurtures our commitment to freedom of expression and civil discourse, focusing on teaching our students how to think and not what to think. To be clear, freedom of expression does not permit engaging in hateful acts or speech.

Above all, our calling is to prepare students to lead in a rapidly changing world. By focusing on their well-being and our commitment to freedom of expression and civil discourse, we know they will be equipped to do the greatest possible amount of good in our world.