Supreme Court sides with high school cheerleader in free-speech dispute over profane Snapchat rant
6/23/21
< < Go Back
from The Washington Post,
6/23/21:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled for a Pennsylvania cheerleader whose profane off-campus rant cost her a spot on the squad, saying the punishment violated her First Amendment rights.
The court ruled 8 to 1 that the punishment was too severe, although it declined to say schools never have a role in disciplining students for off-campus speech.
“It might be tempting to dismiss B.L.’s words as unworthy of the robust First Amendment protections discussed herein,” Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote in his 11-page majority opinion, using the initials of the minor in question.
“But sometimes it is necessary to protect the superfluous in order to preserve the necessary,” he wrote.
More From The Washington Post (subscription required):
Rss Feed