Students’ First Amendment Rights
As stated in the United States Constitution, The Frist Amendment reads; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise therefore; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees citizens certain rights and freedoms, including the freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. These rights are fundamental to the functioning of a democratic society and are particularly important for students, who are often at the forefront of social and political movements. However,
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Schools have a responsibility to provide a safe and orderly environment for learning, but they must also respect the rights of students to express themselves and engage in political and social activism. The controversies surrounding students’ First Amendment rights have been apparent in our world for a long time, and the controversies are only growing with the growth of technology. There have been and still are many questions surrounding what the students are allowed to do and not allowed to do under their first amendment rights and that is what we are going to dive deeper into through the perspectives of many cases based on students' first amendment rights. There have been many famous court cases over the years in which students have taken school boards to court after they had felt that the school board or administration violated their first amendment rights at the school that they are attending. When it comes to students' first amendments there are many things that …show more content…
This amendment applies to all citizens, including students, regardless of their location. Therefore, students have First Amendment rights even when they are off-campus. However, schools may have the authority to regulate certain forms of speech that may disrupt the educational environment or violate the rights of others. For example, schools may prohibit hate speech, harassment, or speech that promotes illegal activities. Nevertheless, students have the right to express their opinions, beliefs, and ideas outside of school without fear of retaliation from the school administration. It is crucial for students to understand their First Amendment rights and responsibilities to exercise them effectively and responsibly. In the case of Morse v. Frederick, 551 U.S. 393 (2007), a high school student held up a banner that said “Bong hits 4 Jesus,” and the banner was taken away from the student and the student was given a ten days suspension. The student then took the school to court alleging that it was a violation of the student's First Amendment rights. “In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment does not prevent school administrators from restricting student expression that reasonably is viewed as promoting the use of illegal drugs” (Facts and Case Summary - Morse v. Frederick.). Even when a student is off of school grounds