Q: Can a public school legally restrict students from handing out event invitations and speaking about religious beliefs, claiming it disrupts school activities, even when done outside school hours?

A: Public schools in the United States generally cannot prohibit students from distributing religious materials or discussing their faith during non-instructional time. The First Amendment protects students' rights to religious expression in public schools, and courts have consistently upheld these rights when activities occur during non-instructional periods like before school or between classes. The Supreme Court has established that students don't "shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate."

Your school's blanket prohibition on religious speech during non-instructional time likely violates constitutional protections. While schools may impose reasonable "time, place, and manner" restrictions on student expression, these must be content-neutral and narrowly tailored to prevent actual disruption. Simply claiming that religious discussions might distract from schoolwork isn't sufficient justification when these conversations happen outside class time.

You might consider respectfully requesting the school's policy in writing and consulting with your parents about this issue. Organizations like the ACLU or religious liberty groups often provide free resources explaining student religious expression rights. The Department of Education also publishes guidelines clarifying that public schools must permit student religious expression during non-instructional time as long as it doesn't disrupt educational activities.