By following one case very closely over a long time foster finds opportunities to discuss a variety of issues involved in constitutional litigation. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Justice john paul stevens on free speech and students rights. After he unfurled his 14foot bong hits 4 jesus banner on a. Supreme court has effectively criminalized any student mention of drugs in school. The school in this case should acknowledge that it has made.
At a schoolsupervised event, joseph frederick held up a banner with the message bong hits 4 jesus, a slang reference to marijuana smoking. Professor james foster talks about his book, bong hits 4 jesus. As is so often the case in free speech cases, a ruling against frederick would undermine the rights of. Frederick led a group of students who hoisted a large, nonsensical banner reading bong hits 4 jesus as the parade passed by. Courts have accepted tighter limits on fighting words, dangerous speech, and obscenity. Sep 16, 20 bong hits 4 jesus banner on display at the newseum in washington, d. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. How the supreme court treats speech cases can be a mirror into that courts soul, especially when the cases are about student speech. Mar 05, 2011 washington cnn the supreme court ruled against a former high school student monday in the bong hits 4 jesus banner case a split decision that limits students free speech rights. Mar 19, 2007 at a schoolsupervised event, joseph frederick held up a banner with the message bong hits 4 jesus, a slang reference to marijuana smoking. Frederick sued, claiming his constitutional rights to free speech were violated. Justice souter remarked that bong hits 4 jesus sounds like just a kids provocative statement to me. Among other cherished values, the first amendment protects freedom of speech.
The original bong hits for jesus banner that led to a supreme court. Supreme court limits student speech in bong hits 4 jesus case, june 25, 2007. The court also ruled that to limit such speech was a violation of fredericks constitutional rights. The high court decision in the bong hits case morse v. Deputy editorial page editor dan henninger talks about the potential impact of the bong hits 4 jesus case for free speech. But the supreme court in 2007 upheld the right of public school administrators to punish students for speech advocating illegal drug use. A high school seniors 14foot banner proclaiming bong hits 4 jesus gave the supreme court a provocative prop for a lively argument monday about the extent of schools control over.
Mar 17, 2007 after he unfurled his 14foot bong hits 4 jesus banner on a juneau, alaska freedom of speech. May 25, 2011 bong hits 4 jesus was about more than free speech 06262007 11. In morse, the supreme court found that a public high school had not violated the first amendment rights of a student suspended for unfurling a banner reading bong hits 4 jesus at a schoolsponsored, offcampus event. Justices will hear a case involving a student from alaska, who is. In 2002, joseph frederick, then an 18yearold senior in juneau alaska, along with several other students held the 14foot banner that read, bong hits 4 jesus. John brigham, university of massachusetts, amherst. The supreme courts most recent high school speech case, morse v. Courts have granted political speech the greatest protection under the first amendment. Bong hits 4 jesus considers whether this recalibration of student speech rights is a major retreat. The banner was seized and frederick was punished by his high school principal, deborah morse. Student speech and the educational mission argument after morse v. Frederick, in which the supreme court held that a school principal did not violate the constitution by punishing a student for unfurling a banner reading, bong hits 4 jesus. At issue was whether fredericks free speech rights were violated and the discretion schools should be allowed to limit messages that appear to advocate illegal drug use.
It was certainly not intended as a drug or religious message. Thank god im out of the high school, and the public school system. The precipitious slide in supreme court protection for free speech in high school since tinker in the 1960s is only part of the story. May 25, 2011 these are the questions raised as the supreme court this week debated how restrictive schools could be in limiting a students right to free speech.
As the olympic relay approached, joseph and his friends revealed a 14foot banner that read bong hits 4 jesus. Bong hits 4 jesus and the first amendment teen ink. Student loses bong hits free speech case, 2007 newseumed. Washington cnn the supreme court ruled against a former high school student monday in the bong hits 4 jesus banner case a split decision that limits students free speech rights. It found that frederick message was, by his own admission, not political, as was the case in tinker. The court said the phrase bong hits 4 jesus reasonably could be viewed as. A perfect constitutional storm in alaskas capital pdf, epub, docx and torrent then this site is not for you. Since then, some lower courts have restricted student speech freedoms even more.
At issue was whether fredericks free speech rights were violated and the discretion schools should be allowed to limit messages that appear to. Jun 25, 2007 student loses bong hits 4 jesus case june 25, 2007 10. Bong hits 4 jesus goes to the supreme court by tom kizzia in the anchorage daily news is a good feature on the case, with additional information about frederick and his difficulties since the banner incident. Have students first amendment rights to free speech. Oct 15, 2010 frederick, the 2007 supreme court case conventionally known as bong hits 4 jesus. Much of that attention, of course, was attributable to the informal name for the case bong hits 4 jesus. The article develops its argument by focusing in general on the school speech cases and in particular on the recent decision of morse v. She justified her actions by citing the schools policy against the display of material that promotes the use of illegal. The act of taking multiple hits from a bong in the name of jesus. How its betrayal of free speech principles may have influenced a recent federal appellate decision by julie hilden. The bbc reports on the supreme court ruling that a school in alaska did not violate joseph fredericks right to free speech when it suspended him for displaying a banner reading bong hits 4 jesus. Background information on the 2007 supreme court case known as the bong hits 4 jesus case. I told my wife that i thought the opposite of bong hits 4 jesus would be no bong hits 4 jesus, and therefore that would have to be protected speech, at least according to the governments argument. Frederick, the supreme court case that addressed free speech in an.
In upholding the 10day suspension of an alaska high school senior for raising a banner that read bong hits 4 jesus at a schoolsanctioned event outside campus, the court majority insisted it. The first amendment takes a hit unprotected, and granting summary judgment against him. Frederick, the 2007 supreme court case conventionally known as bong hits 4 jesus. Bong hits 4 jesus is just not right up there with shouting fire. Life could bong hits 4 jesus case chill free speech in schools.
Students dont leave their right to free speech at the school door, the high court said in a vietnamera case over an antiwar protest by high school students. The supreme courts bong hits 4 jesus first amendment decision. Finding that the message frederick displayed was by his own admission not political in nature, as was the case in tinker, the court said the phrase bong hits 4 jesus reasonably could be viewed as promoting illegal drug use. Supreme court hears bong hits 4 jesus politics nbc news. Frederick, better known as the bong hits 4 jesus case. Bong hits 4 jesus ruling raises questions about students. Bong hits 4 jesus was about more than free speech 06262007 11. Bong hits 4 jesus banner was free speech case overview archived bong hits banner gives supreme court chance to clear the air on student speech certiorari candidate archived bong hits 4 jesus toke three the washington post opinion, emil steiner. Bong hits 4 jesus and the first amendment huffpost. Kids, if youre going to unfurl such a banner in an effort to get on national.
In a 54 decision, the supreme court in an opinion authored by chief justice. Mar 19, 2007 at issue was whether fredericks free speech rights were violated and the discretion schools should be allowed to limit messages that appear to advocate illegal drug use. Mar 23, 2007 what is the antibong hits 4 jesus message. You feel wonderful, believe theres a scientific method for everything they teach us. The supreme courts current definition of obscenity denies free speech protection to materials or activities that lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value the right of free expression, although not absolute, enjoys a higher status than the other rights granted by the u. Determining that it could discern no meaningful distinction between student newspaper stories that were deleted. A divided supreme court on monday curtailed free speech rights for students, ruling against a teenager who unfurled a banner saying bong hits 4 jesus. But only if god promised i would grow up to be a justice on the supreme court. Jordan lorence of the alliance defense fund and uva law professor and first amendment expert robert oneil discussed the bong hits 4 jesus case recently heard by the supreme court, during an event sponsored by the federalist society april 3. Mar 19, 2007 justices hear bong hits freespeech case the supreme court reexamines the rights of students to exercise free speech in school. Bong hits for jesus case limits student rights read it and weep. From deep throat to bong hits 4 jesus the first amendment protects free speech, but some types of speech are given greater protection than otherscourts have granted political speech the greatest protection under the first amendmentcour. Student loses ruling over bong hits 4 jesus reuters. Jun 26, 2007 the supreme court backed a principals decision to punish a student for unfurling a banner reading bong hits 4 jesus off school property but at a schoolsponsored event.
June 28, 2007 bong hits 4 jesus final episode by daniel henninger. High court upholds students suspension for bong hits 4. The court said the phrase bong hits 4 jesus reasonably could be. The case centered around a student who decided to present a banner with the phrase bong hits 4 jesus at a school event. Jun 25, 2007 the supreme court ruled against a former high school student monday in the bong hits 4 jesus banner case a split decision that limits students free speech rights. Bong hits 4 jesus and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Rights at stake in free speech case, march 9, 2007.
The precipitious slide in supreme court protection for free speech in high school since tinker. Bong hits 4 jesus case tests the limits of free speech free speech monday march 19, 2007 religion news blog monday, the u. The supreme court ruled against a former high school student monday in the bong hits 4 jesus banner case a split decision that limits students free speech rights. Student in supreme court free speech case speaks about. Supreme court taking up first major school free speech case in nearly 40 years. Penny starr a large bong hits 4 jesus banner, which led to a 2007 supreme court decision that said such language was not protected free speech under the first amendment when displayed at a public school event, is now on prominent display at the newseum in washington, d. It held that fredericks speech was protected, because it did not fall into any of three kinds of. These are the questions raised as the supreme court this week debated how restrictive schools could be in limiting a students right to free speech. Frederick, decided june 25, 2007, the court found that joseph frederick, a student who unfurled a 14 banner reading bong hits 4 jesus at a school event, was rightfully suspended in 2002 by school principal deborah morse for promoting illegal drug use.
This first amendment case was closely watched by public school administrators because the ninth circuit court of appeals had earlier overruled a lower courts finding that no first amendment violation had occurred and instead ruled. Brought to life through interviews with the principal figures in the case, bong hits 4 jesus is a gripping tale of the boundaries of free speech in an american high school. To the extent the court independently finds that bong hits 4 jesus objectively amounts to the advocacy of illegal drug usein other words, that it. The first amendment protects free speech, but some types of speech are given greater protection than others. Frederick said that the phrase bong hits 4 jesus was never meant to have any substantive meaning. Vote against banner shows divide on speech in schools the. If youre looking for a free download links of bong hits 4 jesus. School principal deborah morse tore down the banner and suspended frederick for 10 days, saying that the banner violated the schools antidrug policy. In reading todays supreme courts decision on morse v. Frederick was suspended for 10 days for violating a school policy forbidding. Mondays supreme court ruling against a high school students bong hits 4 jesus banner has brought the topic of students free speech rights to the front pages of the nations newspapers. Jun 25, 2007 but as even the chief acknowledges, it is far from clear whether bong hits 4 jesus is a prodrug message or just a bunch of nonsense, an ambiguity that puts the courts reasoning on shaky ground. Bong hits 4 jesus case tests the limits of free speech.
The case started in 2002, when the juneaudouglas high school in alaska let students cross the street to watch the olympic torch pass on its way to. Jun 25, 2007 washington cnn the supreme court ruled against a former high school student monday in the bong hits 4 jesus banner case a split decision that limits students free speech rights. Student press law center on the appeals court decision. Frederick, the supreme court case that addressed free speech in an american high school. Supreme court ruled against an alaska high school student suspended in 2002 for unfurling a 14foot banner bearing the words bong hits 4 jesus. The event was not schoolsponsored and frederick was not disruptive. Could bong hits 4 jesus case chill free speech in schools. Bong hits 4 jesus was about more than free speech huffpost. In this fascinating book, anne dupre reveals the deep inconsistencies and drunkards reel of the jurisprudence in these cases, from the iconic tinker through the recent bong hits 4 jesus, and the difficulties that educators now face in regulating even. Mar 19, 2007 a high school seniors 14foot banner proclaiming bong hits 4 jesus gave the supreme court a provocative prop for a lively argument monday about the extent of schools control over. It basically allows schools to eliminate free speech in favor on ensuring there are no latent messages that go against the goals of their school district. Principal deborah morse took away the banner and suspended frederick for ten days. Supreme court rules against student in bong hits 4 jesus. In january 2002, high school student joseph frederick joined friends to unfurl a large banner reading bong hits 4 jesus in a highly visible location during an offcampus event attended by many fellow students in his hometown of juneau, alaska.
In 2007, the united states supreme court issued its opinion in the closely watched case of morse v. Realclearpolitics articles bong hits 4 jesusfinal episode. Written and performed by mark plimsoll published by mark plimsoll, llc youre dressed so beautifully, dont move. Professor james foster talks about his book, bong hits 4 jesus, in which he discusses morse v. Frederick, the majority acknowledged that the constitution affords lesser protections to certain types of student speech at school or at schoolsupervised events.
Ruling in bong hits case seen as leaving protection for. Frederick, the case of the student in juneau, alaska, who unfurled a banner reading bong hits 4 jesus and was subsequently suspended you can read the story here or at the washington post to get the details of the case, one conclusion is crystalclear. The us 9th circuit court of appeals in san francisco ruled march 10 that an alaska high school principal violated a students constitutional right to free speech by suspending him for 10 days for holding up a banner reading bong hits 4 jesus during a televised parade near the high school campus. Free speech died today justices side with school in. The aclu further argues that student free speech restrictions since the tinker case do not apply.
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