First Amendment Rights in Public Schools
First Amendment Rights in Public Schools
Recently, there was some controversy surrounding Perry High School in the Chandler Unified School District of Arizona. Students at the school were forced to stop carrying a Donald Trump banner and take off any “Make America Great Again” gear. This decision by the school erupted in shock, anger, and questions about first amendment rights in schools. Since this school is s public school, therefore, part of the state, I believe the student's speech and expressive actions of carrying the banner or wearing the clothes should be protected. The Supreme Court set a precedent almost 50 years ago in the Tinker vs. Des Moines case that said students don’t “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” I believe objections that the speech disrupted school should not hold. This event would have not disrupted school if the teachers just let the students wear the Make America Great Again gear. Political speech is one of the most protected types of speech for everyone in the United States. I believe that censoring views that do match your own is a very dangerous path to go down. A public school does not have the right to make students take off clothing with political messages. The school does not quiet other political groups on campus. They have a RedForEd attire on Wednesday so not see why one political group has been singled out. It is important that we allow students access to the free political speech which they have a constitutional right to.
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