Bearden v. Altamont School, The

In 2017, J.B., a student at The Altamont School in Birmingham, Alabama, was expelled after participating in a private Snapchat group where racially offensive jokes were shared. His father, John Bearden, sued the school and its head, Sarah Whiteside, for breach of contract, defamation, and racial discrimination, asserting the speech occurred off campus. The case reached the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, and on December 11, 2018, the court issued a pivotal ruling on summary judgment. The court allowed the breach of contract and defamation claims to proceed but dismissed the racial discrimination claim, ultimately leading the parties to a settlement.

On December 11, 2018, the district court partially granted and partially denied the school's motion for summary judgment. The breach of contract and defamation claims were allowed to proceed, while the racial discrimination claim was dismissed. The case subsequently settled out of court.

Whether a private school can enforce its honor code and disciplinary policies against a student for off-campus, private social media communications, and whether such enforcement constituted breach of contract, defamation, or racial discrimination.

The case drew significant attention to the limits of private school authority over students' off-campus digital speech, sparking debate about contractual governance in education and the intersection of school discipline with emerging social media norms.