Why Students Should Not Have Constitutional Rights At School

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Constitutional rights grant numerous freedoms to citizens of the United States and provide a foundation for society to develop. Students are not granted full constitutional rights at school because they may disrupt the safe learning environment and cause conflicts. If students have full constitutional rights, they may abuse their freedom. Tinker vs. Des Moines and New Jersey vs. TLO are two important precedent cases that show examples of what rights students are granted at school. They also set restrictions on the freedom of speech and the freedom to a warranted search during school. The first amendment relates to the case as it grants freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion. However, there are limits placed on maintaining a safe school environment. Students should not have full constitutional rights as they often …show more content…

In Tinker vs. Des Moines, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Tinker because the students were not causing a substantial disruption to the school’s learning environment. The Tinkers were silently protesting the Vietnam War with black armbands and peace signs. However, their school suspended them because of the Vietnam War’s controversy, stating that it would cause conflict among the students. On Tinker vs. Des Moines, the Supreme Court remarks: “students have a right to free speech so long as their speech does not cause a material and substantial disruption to class or school activities or infringes the rights of others.” (Boston College, 1). Students who have access to constitutional rights would be allowed to use disruptive and hateful speech at school. Although they still cannot contravene the rights of others, their speech can cause harm by sparking conflicts. Students cannot be trusted with full constitutional rights at school, as they will likely abuse their freedom and cause dangerous conflicts to

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