Black Armband In School

291 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Censorship and freedom of speech

Students should be able to express themselves at school and anywhere else they decide. I, Mary Beth Tinker, wanted to wear a black armband on my arm and fast during the holidays. I wanted to demonstrate my First Amendment rights and my views on the Vietnam War. It was a simple black armband that caused a uproar and change for the children. All children have the right to express Freedom of speech. Walking into a school building does not stop your rights as a citizen. This is where I began my case. Other students and I sued the school district. We believed we were doing nothing to harm other students or cause a huge disruption. Everyone deserves to express their rights. My local district court discharged the case and said that our school district’s

Show More
Related

  • Morse v. Frederick Civil Lawsuit: Bong Hits for Jesus

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over five years have passed since high school senior Joseph Frederick was suspended for 10 days by school principal Deborah Morse after refusing her request to take down a 14-foot banner he was displaying at a school-sanctioned event which read “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS.” Born as a seemingly trivial civil lawsuit in which Frederick sued the school for violating his First Amendment rights to free speech, the case made its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the long-awaited ruling of Morse v. Frederick has finally been released. In a 5-4 split decision, the court ruled in favor of Morse and upheld the school board’s original ruling that Morse was acting within her rights and did not violate Frederick’s First Amendment rights by taking away his banner and suspending him for 10 days. The controversial decision has led followers of the case to question the future of student speech rights.

    Read More

  • The Tinker V. Des Moines School District Case

    1304 Words  | 3 Pages

    We, all, have the opportunity to voice our opinion on subjects that matter to us. The First Amendment grants us freedom of speech and expression. However, this was not provided to all students in 1968. During this time, there were three students in Des Moines, Iowa, who wore black armbands to school. These armbands were a symbol of protest against the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. After the Des Moines School District heard about this plan, they instituted a policy banning the wearing of armbands, leading to the suspension of students. A lawsuit has been filed against the Des Moines School District, stating how this principal goes against the students’ First Amendment rights. Thus, in the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District case, Justice Abe Fortes determined the policy to ban armbands is against the students’ First Amendment rights. Yet, Justice Hugo Black dissented with this decision, determining the principal is permissible under the First Amendment.

    Read More

  • Tinker v. Des Mointes School District

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the 1960s, some Americans were against sending troops to Vietnam because of the many lives risked; others were against sending troops because of the money it would cost. In 1965, a group of Des Moines high school students met up and agreed to wear black armbands that following week to protest against the Vietnam War. Rumors got around to school principles. School Principals passed a rule forbidding armbands to be worn at school to prevent disruption in the classrooms. In December, five students wore armbands ignoring the school’s new rule. They were asked to take off the armbands, and they refused resulting in suspension ("Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School Dist"). Then the parents of those complained that the first amendment rights of those students were violated. This case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that students still have their rights of freedom of speech and expression in school in a 7-2 vote in favor of Tinker (“TINKER v. DES MOINES INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT”).

    Read More

  • Essay On Des Moines Independent Community Schools

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    In December 1965, an issue was caused by teachers’ in violating students’ freedom of speech. In December some students from Des Moines Independent Community School District, in Iowa were suspended for wearing black armbands to protest against the American Government’s war policy in support Vietnam (Richard, Clayton, and Patrick).The school district pressed a complaint about it, although the students caused no harm to anyone. Students should be able to voice their opinions without the consequences of the school district.

    Read More

  • School Dress Codes v. The First Amendment

    1687 Words  | 4 Pages

    America was founded on popular sovereignty and individual freedoms. What do Americans do when the freedoms given to them from birth are restricted or taken away from them? They fight! Throughout time the government has attempted to take away our civil liberties because they viewed them to be for the greater good. One huge government failure was the attempted prohibition of alcohol. It is well known that alcohol can be very dangerous and it should be restricted. However, the government went too far when it tried to take it away completely and just like their rebellious founders the American population just found ways around the law. Similarily, Carroll High School and other schools throughout the nation are severely restricting the students’ rights to express themselves through their visual appearance. The administration, relying on the crutch of limiting distractions and violence, is taking the dress code over the line and is infringing on our right of expression regardless of the lack of results that they are witnessing.

    Read More

  • First Amendment Rights of Public School Students

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    Schools have more rights than the government to affect and restrict the 1st amendment and freedom of speech.

    Read More

  • First Amendment and the Constitutional Freedoms in Amercan Schools

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... the established case law because of the schools ability to limit those freedoms. When looking at restricting or granting student or group speech administrators must be consistent, because allowing one student or group to expression their First Amendment right opens a door for other student or groups that can be difficult to close. The institution should have clear policies that designate Public Forums, Designated Public Forums, Limited Public Forums, and Non-public Forms. Furthermore, a policy should be created explaining a student’s rights with procedures for a student to redress grievances. Beyond the established policies, administers must be aware of (and have training in) student rights, but should also understand the breadth of power public institutions have to restrict those freedoms when the expression of those freedoms would cause disruption to the school.

    Read More

  • First Amendment Rights In School Essay

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    Which include danger to the school or any of the students and this should be the only way teachers and schools can restrict students’ rights. but schools tend to go too far restricting students’ rights “The principal had ordered the stories removed from the paper because he believed the story about teen pregnancy was inappropriate for some of the younger students at the school, based on its discussion of sexual activity and birth control”(What are the free expression rights of students in public schools under the First Amendment?) a student though that this was appropriate for the school to read and it was but the officials at the school did not think the same way. also another case Bazaar v. Fortune officials tried to stop publication of a book just because it had a few words in it that they did not like.(The First Amendment and Public Schools) this is taking there restrictions just too far. The government should be able to set guidelines of what the immediate danger is and what kind of expression goes way too far and have it sent out to all the schools in the United States. This might help schools from restricting our

    Read More

  • Wearing Gang Colors In Public Schools

    615 Words  | 2 Pages

    Of course, students and school officials can often disagree about what may or may not be disruptive. For example, in 1998, the Rhode Island ACLU successfully challenged the suspension of a student for wearing a rock band t-shirt with the numerals “666” on it. On the other hand, although the ruling might come out differently today, a Virginia court ruled two decades ago that a school could decide to ban as “vulgar” a t-shirt with the phrase “Drugs Suck.” If you think you were unfairly disciplined for something you wore to school, you should contact the ACLU. Administrators have the responsibility to protect the health, welfare, and safety of students. And can stop conduct that interferes with the operation of schools or impinges on the rights of other students. Also, administrators can stop conduct that interferes with schoolwork during school

    Read More

  • The Importance of Freedom of Speech in College

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the two videos provided by FIRE, certain situations where students’ basic rights were violated were shown. In the first video presented by FIRE, I was very surprised to learn that some colleges opt to control what you wear, what you post on Facebook or what you say. Instead of educating young adults, it appears that colleges nowadays are trying to babysit them in every dimension of life, including their personal online social life. One example that prominently stood out to me was Hayden Barnes’ story, in video two. Hayden Barnes found himself in deep trouble with the school when he decided to speak out against an overpriced project that the school had decided to complete, by using student fees. This situation shows exactly why organizations like FIRE are needed. Students in certain schools have little to no verbal opinion on what happens at their school. There are certain things you’re allowed to say, and certain things that you are not allowed to say. Whatever happened to freedom of speech and does it exist on college campuses?

    Read More

  • School Uniforms In Schools

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is a great idea for schools to implement a policy on school uniforms because statistics show that students who wear uniforms make better grades, the male students are not going to be distracted by what the female students are (or aren't) wearing, and students feel a sense of fairness with one another as they are all wearing the same things and when students are at one with one another their confidence soars, which leads to doing better at school. Student uniforms helps with reducing the amount of bullying therefore the students who would normally be bullied now have a much better disposition while at school, which will lead to a healthier safer learning environment. When students feel less threatened at school, they can concentrate better which leads to better grades. The schools which have an enforced uniform policy have properly dressed students. When teenage girls, want to impress teenage boys dress inappropriately it causes a lot of distractions and trouble. The girls are also envious of on one another so unrest is caused in the classroom throughout the day, not only with the boys who are looking at the girls, but also at the girls who are jealous of the ones getting the attention.

    Read More

  • Schools Should Not Have Uniforms

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    Would anybody want their freedom taken from them? Nobody would willingly give their freedom up. What’s the next thing thats going to happen, will schools having edible food. Hard to see, right? So are uniforms. Schools should not have uniforms for these three reasons: It takes the students freedom of expression away, it’s a bandaid reason to cover up violence, and some parents might not be able to afford the uniforms.

    Read More

  • Leggings Problem In Schools

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Are leggings a problem in schools? No, not in the manner people see them as. The problem isn’t that leggings are too revealing and sexual, it’s the people who perceive them as such. If a boy was to go to school with leggings and shorts barely anyone would care. The problem isn’t that the leggings are the source of the boys’ distraction, it’s the boys’ adolescent minds getting stimulated by the thoughts of any growing boys. Another thing that annoys me about this whole situation is that they say distraction in two manners in the article, it states it in the article as shown ““He told us we were being distracting to the male students,” Colussi said.” Which this definition of distraction coveys the highly known “fact” that boys are easily distracted

    Read More

  • Argument Against School Uniforms Essay

    2235 Words  | 5 Pages

    Students claim that requiring them to wear mandated uniforms deprives them of their ability to freely express themselves through their choice of dress. However, freedom of expression does consist of the rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and to petition the government, but the first amendment does not grant people the right to act any way they want without actions taken. Numerous schools have a straightforward dress code policy enforced. If these policies are violated, then the students could face consequences for their

    Read More

  • School Uniform Position Memo Examples

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    Proponents of school uniforms agree that students’ school uniforms are not a violation of their First Amendment of the U.S. constitution right. In the case of Canady v. Bossier Parish School Board, the Fifth Circuit upheld that “students remain free to wear what they want after school hours. Students may still express their views through other mediums during the school day” (Canady v. Bossier Parish School Board). Advocates for school uniforms argue that school is for learning, and that self-expression is for after-school hours. Some people will say that there is room for self-expression such that students’ can use hairstyles and accessories to start forming their individuality. However, proponents of school uniforms need to

    Read More

More about Black Armband In School

Open Document