Suppose a group of students come to school on the anniversary of the Columbine school shooting wearing white shirts with red marks on them as a way to represent those students who have died in school shootings over the years. The school administration believes this is distracting to other students and orders the students to go home and change. The students refuse, citing which previous incident?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The students are referencing Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), which established that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." In this case, students were allowed to wear black armbands as a form of silent protest against the Vietnam War. The court ruled that students have the right to express political opinions as long as it does not disrupt the educational environment. The white shirts with red marks are also a form of political expression and should be protected under Tinker.

Suppose a Group of Students Come to School on the Anniversary