Morse+v+Frederick

Morse v Frederick //Deborah Morse and the Juneau School Board, et al., Petitioners v. Joseph Frederick//

**Important Dates:** Argued: March 19th, 2007 Decided: June 25th, 2007


 * Basic Issue: ** A school speech case involving the First Amendment. (Supreme Court held that the First Amendment doesn't prevent educators form suppressing student speech at school-supervised events that is reasonably viewed as promoting illegal drug use.


 * Premise :** In 2002 18-year-old Joseph Frederick was suspended after displaying a banner reading "BONG HiTS 4 JESUS" across the street from the school during the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay. Frederick sued, claiming his constitutional right to free speech was violated. It was dismissed by the federal district court, but on appeal, the Ninth Circuit reversed in favor of Frederick.


 * Consenting Opinion :** Delivered by Chief Justice Roberts. They reject Frederick's argument that it is not a school speech case. It was part of the school district's rules to expressly provide approved social events and class trips that are subject to district rules for student conduct. The message on Frederick's banner (Bong Hits 4 Jesus) is cryptic, but Principal Morse thought the banner would be interpreted as promoting illegal drug use, and that is plainly reasonable. The only way it could not be interpreted as referring to illegal drug use would be to interpret it as gibberish.

I would hold that the school's interest in protecting its students from exposure to speech "reasonably regarded as promoting illegal drug use" cannot justify disciplining Frederick for his attempt to make an ambiguous statement to a television audience simply because it contained an oblique reference to drugs. The First Amendment demands more, indeed, much more." They view that the First Amendment protects student speech if the message itself neither violates a permissable rule nor expressly advocates conduct illegal harmful to students, they banner is nonsense and does neither.
 * Dissenting Opinion :**Delivered by Justice Stevens, joined by Justices Souter and Ginsburg. "

Unknown. (n.d.) Morse //et al. v.// Frederick. Retrieved from []