The turmoil in the Douglas County School District of the past few months has laid bare fundamental questions over the extent and limits of free expression in the schoolyard, from a student’s right to organize a protest to the way adults in positions of authority converse with students. With a controversial meeting between two school board members and a 15-year-old Ponderosa High sophomore in March at the heart of the issue, questions about abuse of power, First Amendment protections and the adequacy of school district policies are swirling as calls for the resignation of board president Meghann Silverthorn and vice president Judith Reynolds grow louder. Douglas County school board members Meghann Silverthorn and Judith Reynolds.Courtesy photos For Mark Silverstein, legal director for the ACLU of Colorado, the controversy comes down to the “imbalance of power” that exists between a young girl and adults vested with authority — and the effect that has on students’ ability to express themselves freely. “School board members should have the good sense to avoid trying to bully a student into giving up her First Amendment rights without the need for a written policy,” Silverstein said.