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Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser
Matthew Fraser, a student in Washington state, gave a speech for a classmate who was running for student government. The speech was at a school assembly where there were about 600 students. He featured numerous sexual references, causing the audience to react oddly. Some appeared embarrassed, while others yelled and made disrupting gestures. His father filed suit on his behalf, saying that officials went against his First Amendment right to freedom of speech. -
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
At Hazel-wood East High School, the students that take journalism are the ones that write the school paper. The students wanted to write an article about a teenage pregnancy and a divorce of another students parents. They of course changed the students names in the Article. The principle told them that the paper was inappropriate and he took the pages out. The students appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, stating that the students' rights had been violated. -
Texas v. Johnson
Gregory Lee Johnson burned an American flag to protest against Reagan administration. Johnson was convicted under a Texas law outlawing flag desecration. The Court held that Johnson's burning of a flag was protected expression under the First Amendment. They decided that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable. -
Cohen v. San Bernardino Valley College
English professor at San Bernardino College was disciplined for violating the college's sexual harassment policy by creating a hostile learning place. He would use profanity, and discuss sex, pornography, cannibalism, and other topics in a devil's advocate style. The court held the policy unconstitutional. " In-class speech did not fall within the policy's core definition of sexual harassment" . Cohen was not aware that he could get in trouble for this. This goes against his freedom of speech. -
Morse v. Frederick
During a assembly at a high school in Juneau Alaska, a student had a banner that he held up that ready the words "Bong Hits 4 Jesus". Teachers and other employees at the school thought this was advocating illegal drug activity. Fredrick refused to take down the banner and she took it away. Then he got suspended for 10 days. The U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska ruled for Morse, saying that Frederick's action was not protected by the First Amendment. -
Guiles v. Marineau
The First Amendment protects the right of a student in the public schools to wear a shirt insulting the President of the United States and images of drugs and alcohol. In Williamstown Vermont a child wore a shirt with images of George Bush doing drugs and having more inappropriate things on it. After another student complained, the kid refused to take it off and had to talk to the superintendent of the school who eventually made the kid change his shirt. This violated his first amendment right -
Bell v. Itawamba County School Board
A aspiring rapper and high school student Taylor Bell was suspended and has to transfer schools due to making a rap song about a teachers at his school. In this song, he rapped about how the two teachers sexually assaulted students at the school and he used their names. He did this all off school property and used his own personal computer to make and post it. He wasn't aware that he could get into trouble. This goes against his freedom of speech and press. Even though it put people in danger. -
Walker v. Sons of Confederate Veterans
In Texas, along with many states you can customize your license plate on your car. There are many different designs that you can choose from but the Chairman and members of the Board in Texas, made it illegal for the Confederate Flag to appear on a license plate. Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans argued that this went against their freedom of speech rights -
Packingham vs. North Carolina
There is a law in North Carolina that makes it illegal for registered sex offenders to access social media accounts. It is a felony if they make an account for a social media platform that allows minors to also make an account on the same platform. -
Police vs. Mary Sause
Mary Sause's first amendment rights were violated when two police officers showed up to her apartment after getting a noise complaint. They wanted to enter her apartment without a search warrant and Mary then proceeded to hold up a copy of the US Constitution and said that it violated her rights. They then proceeded to arrest her without giving her reason. This violated all of her first amendment rights. -
Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
Jack Phillips is a very christian baker from Colorado. He was charged by a same sex couple for violating the Anti-Discrimination Act after he refused to bake their wedding cake. This went against Jack's religious beliefs. This also violated the first amendment because Jack should be able to say no and he should be able to do what he wants in his own bakery. -
National Institute of Family Life Advocates v. Becerra
In California, pro-life pregnancy centers must also do free advertising for abortion clinics. They must also have abortion centers have free of very low cost services. The purpose of this law is to give women the right to make a choice but at the same time it violates the first amendment because no company should be forced to promote or advertise anything.
