Court Cases That

Challenged the
Bill of Rights

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Students protested
Vietnam War with black
armbands at school
Violation of 1st
Amendment freedom of
speech?

Tinker v. Des Moines

1. Do students have a right to freedom of expression in school?

2. Do school officials have the right to limit freedom of expression?

Were the students First Amendment rights violated when they were
suspended for wearing armbands?

Tinker v. Des Moines

Actual Supreme Court Ruling
Supreme

Court ruled 7-2 in favor of the students

Students
Students

rights should be protected

dont shed their constitutional rights

at the school house gates

Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier

(1988)

Two articles submitted for publication in school

newspaper contained stories of divorce and
teenage pregnancy.

School principal felt that the subject of these

stories were inappropriate

Entire pages were left out of the newspaper

without telling newspaper editors

Violation of 1st Amendment freedom of the press?

Principal Reynolds holding a copy of the

Spectrum, the school newspaper

Hazelwood School District v.

Kuhlmeier

1. Who is considered the publisher of a school newspaper, with the

right to determine the content of the paper?

2. Under what circumstances, if any, does the First Amendment allow

school officials the right to censor school newspapers?

Did the principal violate the students First Amendment right to

freedom of press by censoring their newspaper?

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
Actual Supreme Court Ruling
Court

ruled 5-3 in favor of the principal

Newspaper

sponsored by the school and so school has right

to prevent inappropriate material

Newspaper

not public forum where everyone can share views;

limited to Journalism students only and so can be edited by
the school

Wallace v. Jafree (1985)

Alabama Governor,
George Wallace

Jafrees son was asked to recite prayers in his

Alabama public school class

Jafree felt that this violated Constitutions

separation of church and state

Alabama law calls for moment of silence and did

not require a child to pray to a particular God or to
pray at all

Violation of 1st Amendment freedom of religion ?

Ishmael Jafree

Wallace v. Jafree

1. Was the law authorizing a moment of silence for meditation or

voluntary prayer an attempt to establish a religion?

2. Is a childs First Amendment right to freedom of religion violated if

voluntary prayer is allowed in the school?

Did the Alabama law violate the First Amendment clause that
prohibits the government from establishing a religion?

Did the law violate the childs First Amendment right to freedom of
religion?

Wallace v. Jafree
Actual Supreme Court Ruling
Court

voted 6-3 in favor of Jafree

Violation

of 1st amendment freedom of religion, there must

be separation between church and state

Alabama

law was an endorsement of religion

New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)

2 girls found smoking in high school bathroom

One girl admitted to smoking, the other (T.L.O.) denied it

Principal demanded to see T.L.O.s purse and found

marijuana

T.L.O. taken to police station and admitted to selling

marijuana

Based on confession and items from purse, state of New

Jersey brought charges against T.L.O.

Violation of 4th Amendment right against unreasonable

search and seizure?

New Jersey v. T.L.O.

1. Does the 4th Amendment protect students from searches by school

officials?

2. Under what circumstances, if any, can school officials search

students or their belongings?

Was the search of T.L.O.s purse illegal?

New Jersey v. T.L.O.

Actual Supreme Court Ruling

Court voted 6-3 in favor of the principal

School officials dont need a search warrant or probable cause

before conducting a search because there is a reduced expectation
of privacy at school