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Bethel School District v. Fraser
A public school student was suspended for giving a speech at a school assembly that included indecent content. The speech included repeated use of an “elaborate, graphic, and explicit sexual metaphor,”. He later admitted using sexual innuendo in the speech, was suspended, and banned from speaking at graduation. The school didn't violate the student’s rights. The 1st Amendment doesn't prevent a school from disciplining a student for using speech that is indecent. -
Stanley v. Georgia
A man found to have pornographic materials in his home for his private use was convicted in violation of the state laws of Georgia. The Supreme Court overturned the conviction, saying that Constitution protects the right to receive information and ideas, regardless of what they are, and to be free from governmental intrusions into one's privacy. It's said that the government "cannot constitutionally premise legislation on the desirability of controlling a person's private thoughts." -
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
Three students got expelled for wearing black armbands in school to protest the Vietnam War. When taken to court, the Supreme Court said that students "do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate" and that the First Amendment protects student's rights to express political and social views. -
Todd v. Rochester Community Schools
A class in Rochester public high school studied the book "Slaughterhouse - Five". The teacher Mr. Todd didn't claim that the book was obscene but lost in an anonymous vote 4-0. The book ended up being banned from the school's library. -
Mozert v. Hawkins County Board of Education
Parents and students said that certain textbooks on the school ground promoted values offensive to their religious beliefs. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected their claim, finding that the Constitution does not require school curricula to be revised substantially in order to accommodate religious beliefs. -
Smith v. Board of School Commissioners of Mobile
Parents and students filed a lawsuit against the school for allegedly teaching the students of an anti-religious religion called "secular humanism". The complaints said that 44 elementary-high school level text books be removed. The court ruled that as long as the school was motivated by a secular purpose, it didn't matter whether the curriculum and texts shared ideas held by one or more religious groups. They found that the textbooks provided important values like tolerance & self respect. -
Texas v. Johnson
The Supreme Court held that burning the United States flag was a protected form of symbolic political speech, so there is no legitimate government interest in protecting the U.S. flag where the sole act in question is destroying the flag. "A bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment is that Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable." -
Cohen vs. San Bernardino Valley College
An English teacher violated the school's sexual harassment policy against creating a hostile working environment. He had an in class use of profanity, and discussions of sex, pornography, obscenity, cannibalism and more. It was taken to court and decided that he did not violate the first amendment. -
American Amusement Machine Association vs Kendrick
An Indianapolis city ordinance required video game arcade owners to limit access to games that had certain activities including amputation, decapitation, dismemberment, bloodshed, or sexual intercourse. Only with the permission of a parent or guardian could children 17 years old and younger play these types of video games. The court ruled that "children have First Amendment rights" and denied the ordinance. -
Morse v. Frederick
A public school student was suspended for displaying a banner promoting drug use at a school-sponsored event. The Olympic Torch Relay passed right in front of the public high school so students attended with their teachers. As the runners passed, a student held up a banner that read: “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS.” The principal confiscated the banner & suspended the student. He tried to claim that the school violated his rights but schools can regulate speech that conflicts with school anti-drug policies.
