Home : Free Speech : Student Speech

Morse v. Frederick in the Supreme Court
The ACLU criticized the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in Morse v. Frederick, which held that Alaska public school officials did not violate Joseph Frederick's free speech rights by punishing him for displaying a banner during a public event. The case arose in 2002 when Frederick, then a student at Juneau-Douglas High School in Juneau, Alaska, was suspended for 10 days for holding up a humorous sign that the principal of the school, Deborah Morse, interpreted as a pro-drug message. Learn more >>
> ACLU Slams Supreme Court Decision in Student Free Speech Case (6/25/2007)

ACLU of Arkansas Applauds Decision by Arkansas Technical University President to Lift Ban on Showing Sondheim-Weidman Musical, “Assassins” (02/29/2008)
Little Rock, Arkansas – Today the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas applauded the decision by Arkansas Technical University President Robert Brown to lift the ban he had imposed on the Theater Department showing the Sondheim-Weidman musical, “Assassins.” Dr. Brown first announced he would permit only one closed performance of the musical for family members of the cast. He later postponed the play indefinitely, “out of respect for the families of victims” of shootings at other campuses, because of the play’s “portrayal of graphically violent scenes.” The University later indicated that concerns about security issues that might be raised by the sounds of gunfire in the production prompted the postponement.

ACLU Urges William & Mary to Allow Controversial Show to Go On (02/04/2008)
Richmond, VA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today faxed a letter to William & Mary President Gene Nichol urging him to allow a performance of the Sex Workers’ Art Show to take place tonight as scheduled. The letter also informs him that a special contract the college is requiring sponsoring students and performers to sign is unconstitutional.

School District Affirms Student Speech Rights After 10th Grader Punished for ‘gay? fine by me’ T-Shirt (12/07/2007)
NEW YORK -- The Spencer-Van Etten School District has met a demand from the New York Civil Liberties Union that it send a message directly to its student body affirming students’ constitutional right to free speech. The development occurred in response to the censorship of a Tioga County High School student for wearing a “gay? fine by me” T-shirt.

California Judge Strikes School Dress Code That Banned Winnie-the-Pooh Socks (07/05/2007)
NAPA, CA - A federal judge has blocked a middle school from enforcing an overly strict dress code that got a student punished for wearing Winnie-the-Pooh socks. The court ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California against the Napa Valley Unified School District and Redwood Middle School.

ACLU Slams Supreme Court Decision in Student Free Speech Case (06/25/2007)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today criticized the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in Morse v. Frederick, which held that Alaska public school officials did not violate a student's free speech rights by punishing him for displaying a banner during a public event.

Ask Sybil Liberty About Your Right to Free Expression (12/31/1997)
ACLU's resident expert, Sybil Liberty, answers common questions about students' rights from a student point of view.

Scott v. Napa Valley Unified School District - Ruling on Submitted Motion for Preliminary Injunction (07/02/2007)

NYCLU Letter to the Katonah-Lewisboro School District (03/13/2007)
NYCLU Letter to the Katonah-Lewisboro School District regarding censorship of The Vagina Monologues.

Morse v. Frederick - Respondent's Brief (02/20/2007)
Whether school officials violated the First Amendment when they suspended a high school student for holding up a sign that the principal interpreted as a pro-drug message when the sign caused no disruption, was displayed at a public event on the public streets, and the student had not yet arrived at school for the day.

Lowry v. Watson Chapel School District Amended Complaint (02/06/2007)
Lowry v. Watson Chapel School District Amended Complaint

Lowry v Watson Chapel School Dist Brief in Support of Motion for Preliminary Injunction (10/10/2006)
Lowry v Watson Chapel School Dist Brief in Support of Motion for Preliminary Injunction

Tinker v. Des Moines (393 U.S. 503, 1969) (03/16/2007)
Background on the foundational free speech case from 1969.

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go: Students and Their Parents Fight School Uniform Policies (11/04/1999)

Morse v. Frederick (02/20/2007)
Whether school officials violated the First Amendment when they suspended a high school student for holding up a sign that the principal interpreted as a pro-drug message when the sign caused no disruption, was displayed at a public event on the public streets, and the student had not yet arrived at school for the day. DECIDED