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Brown v. Topeka (1954)
8 year old Linda Brown's case won her the title of the first African-American girl into a white-only seregated school. This case was during segregated times and attacked "seperate but equal" laws for students and the unconstitutionality of seperating black and white students in a school setting. This put in motion one of the very first student right's cases. -
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Student's First Amendment Right's Cases
Throughtout these past 60 to 70 years students have been fighting for their Constitutional Right's. Specifically that of the First Ammendment. Throughout these cases and Supreme Court's ruling we witness a combat between the right's of the students and the limited scope of right's in a school setting. Some rule in favor of the student in cases of the right to peacful protest, and fredom of the press. Other's are limited because their First Ammendment right clashes with the safety of the school. -
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
The first trial in defense of First Amendment Rights in a school setting, with limited Constitutional Right's. The student's rights were questioned when, during a critical time of the Vietnam war, students wore black arm bands to protest the war and promote peace. They were suspended by the school. The students fought and won for First Amendment Rights, because their attire did not cause hostility or violence. -
Papish v. University of Missouri
A college student was expelled after using vulgar language and an inappropriate political depiction in the school newspaper. This was brought to court as a violation of the student's First Amendment Right's. She won the case because of the constitution didn't protect the school's "code of decency" over the student's Constitutional Right's. Neither the political cartoon or language was considered constitutionally obscene. -
Bethel School District v. Fraser
A student gave a speech that was an explicit sexual metaphor, his consiquences were: a suspension and his allowance to speak at his graduation. It was taken to court as a violation of his First Amendment Right's. Supreme Court decided the suspension was not unconstitutional, because they limited the studen'ts right to certain styles of expression that are sexually vulgar during a school sanctioned event. -
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1987)
A student created an article in the school newspaper containing stories about teen pregnancy and divorce. The principal decided that the stories written could link the identities of students in the school and took the article out of the paper. The school was taken to court on terms of breaking the First Amendment Right to Freedom of the Press.
In this case, the newspaper had a limited scope of powers because it was a school-financed newspaper. Therefore, Supreme Court ruled in Hazelwood's favor. -
Morse v Frederick (2007)
A student went to a relay during chool hours, and held up a sign stating "Bong Hits 4 Jesus", he was suspended and took the case to court in defens of his First Amendment Right's. Supreme Court ruled that his right's were limited because he busted the banner out at a school-sanctioned event with teachers present and the banner promoted drug use.
