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Re: Our #2 in class wasn't allowed to give his speech
US Supreme Court Cases dealing with student speech, symbolic protest and written expression:
Tinker v. Des Moines Indep. Community School District (1969)
Papish v. Bd. of Curators of the Univ. of Missouri (1973)
Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser (1986)
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
Read through these and you may have a better understanding of the difference between an anti-war letter written to the editor of the school paper, a pro-war comment made in the lunch room, wearing a peace button on a shirt to school, putting an armband on to protest the war in class, wearing a Bush or Kerry for President button on a coat and making a speech espousing a particular philosophy at a public gathering during graduation. While in each case the issue of the First Amendment is at stake the court has looked at each situation in a slightly different light when it concerns students rights to self-expression in public schools. It depends on the tone and tenor of the message, the implied meaning either stated or by innuendo, the circumstances of the message and the standards of the community school and its policies as they pertain to student expression.
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