At Des Moines school district in 1969, there were issues regarding students 1st amendment rights. Are they diminished when students enter the school building? According to the 10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know article,
“The court did not grant students an unlimited right to self- expression”.
John and Mary Beth Tinker and their friend Chris Eckhardt wore black armbands to school to protest the war in Vietnam. When they were told to remove them, they refused. Causing them to be suspended. Raising the question “is this a violation of their First Amendment rights?
Here at Triton we have policies that limit how we express ourselves, like our dress code policy. For instance, girls can not wear shorts that are shorter than arm’s length or spaghetti straps. It has happened in the past where girls have been sent home for wearing such clothes. Students are aware of this policy and the consequences when they enter the school building.
A similar case happened in 1933, the West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette case. Where according to supreme court history, West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnett article states that, several students were members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, arguing their religion prevented them from swearing allegiance to anyone but God, and so they could not recite the Pledge of Allegiance. This was said to be insubordination and led to expulsion.
Students 1st amendment rights are still present when entering a school building but it must meet school’s policies. As long as your actions or act of expression doesn’t disrupt the learning of others, classwork, or school activities, it’s acceptable.
While students 1st amendment rights might be tampered with during school hours, they still have them in tact outside of school. Allowing them to express themselves anyway they like.