Morse v. Frederick Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained

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Morse v. Frederick | 551 U.S. 393 (2007)

During a school event, a high-school student displayed a banner with the phrase BONG HiTS 4 JESUS on it. This teenage stunt quickly snowballed into a major public debate about the limits of free speech in schools and culminated in the 2007 landmark Supreme Court decision of Morse v. Frederick.

In January of 2002, the Olympic Torch Relay made its way through Juneau, Alaska. The parade took place during normal school hours and the local high school administration allowed the students to leave their classes to watch it pass. The school considered the event an approved social event, whereby students remained under the supervision of teachers and administrators. As the procession passed by, a group of students unfurled a banner with the phrase BONG HiTS 4 JESUS on it. The school had an established policy of prohibiting the encouragement of illegal drug use and Principal Deborah Morse asked the students to take down the banner. One student, Joseph Frederick, refused. Morse responded by confiscating the banner and suspending him. Frederick, finding this punishment to be a violation of his right to freedom of speech, filed suit in federal district court for monetary damages.

The district court granted summary judgement for Morse. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit reversed on the grounds that the school failed to demonstrate that Frederick’s speech posed a substantial disruption.

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