A coalition of Central Florida media organizations, including The Apopka Chief, has formally asked Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) to revise a media policy that journalists say restricts employee speech and hinders the public’s access to information. 

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) sent the letter to OCPS Superintendent Maria Vazquez Monday on behalf of 11 area media outlets. The organizations requested a response and meeting by June 18, giving the district 10 days to address their concerns. 

“OCPS owes its staff, students and the public a commitment to transparency and to honor the expressive rights of its employees,” SPJ’s Anne Marie Tamburro wrote in a cover letter.  

The coalition’s attached letter, prepared by the Florida State University College of Law First Amendment Clinic, argues that OCPS Management Directive B-5 “suppresses press freedoms, restricts speech, limits the flow of information to the community, and chills First Amendment-protected speech.” 

In addition to SPJ, the coalition includes The Apopka Chief, The Orlando Sentinel, OrangeObserver.com, The West Orange Times & Observer, The Southwest Orange Observer, The Local Winter Garden, Oviedo Community News, VoxPopuli, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and The Shepherd Radio. 

“We value our relationship with Orange County Public Schools and the role it plays in serving the broader community,” the letter says. “That relationship depends on the free flow of information. We write to preserve and strengthen this fruitful relationship moving forward.” 

The coalition letter states that, while the policy may have been adopted with good intentions, its “restrictions hinder our ability to gather and report news.” 

The organizations cited examples they say demonstrate the policy’s practical effects, including multiple outlets being denied access to the superintendent. According to the letter, school officials acknowledged that the policy would prevent a teacher from sharing the date and time of a middle-school band concert with the press. The letter also describes an instance in which a school employee expressed fear that the district’s communications department would react negatively if the employee inadvertently crossed a line while speaking with reporters. 

Management Directive B-5, approved July 30, 2025, outlines procedures for media access and communication. Among other provisions, the policy requires principals to notify supervisors and Media Relations when contacted by the media, requires prior approval for media access to school campuses, and states that members of the media must be accompanied by an administrator while on school property. 

“While the government may regulate employees’ speech made within their official duties, such restrictions cannot be absolute,” the letter says, citing multiple court opinions. “The [OCPS] Media Policy raises concerns regarding the well-established right of government employees to speak freely on matters of public concern.”  

The organizations are proposing revisions that would encourage employees to notify public information officials about media inquiries without requiring prior approval before speaking. 

“We welcome your response and the opportunity to meet to discuss a revised policy that suggests, rather than requires, that District employees loop in the [public information officer] on media inquiries,” the coalition letter states. 

The Apopka Chief Publisher J.C. Derrick said local school coverage depends on timely access to information and communication with school personnel. 

“Covering local schools is a vital part of what we do at The Apopka Chief,” Derrick said. “We are hopeful that this letter will lead to better outcomes for our community as we seek to tell more of the good news coming out of OCPS.”