Juneau-Douglas High School: A Case Study

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Morse 551 U.S. 393 used Bethel School District v. Fraser to help explain its decision in 2007. This case is also commonly known as “Bong Hits for Jesus”. The case once again deals with freedom of speech in public schools. During the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay, Juneau-Douglas High School brought their students to be apart of the crowd at this historical event. At the event, Joseph Frederick held up a sign that read, “Bong Hits for Jesus”. The event was nationally televised with the sign shown live. Principal Morse suspended Frederick for inappropriate behavior. Frederick sued the school system saying the school violated his First Amendment rights by telling him to put the sign down. Even though this act of expression took place in a traditional public forum it was still a school trip/event giving the school jurisdiction over the action. The language used on the banner followed Bethel School District v. Fraser’s ruling because it clearly “undermine(d) the school’s basic educational mission” of a drug free environment (Calvert and Pember, 2015). Using Bethel School District v. Fraser as a precedent, the court gave high school officials the right to regulate sexual and offensively language that is vulgar or indecent. Similar to Bethel School District v. Fraser “Bong Hits for Jesus” was also tried in the Ninth

Over five years have passed since high school senior Joseph Frederick was suspended for 10 days by school principal Deborah Morse after refusing her request to take down a 14-foot banner he was displaying at a school-sanctioned event which read “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS.” Born as a seemingly trivial civil lawsuit in which Frederick sued the school for violating his First Amendment rights to free speech, the case made its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the long-awaited ruling of Morse v. Frederick has finally been released. In a 5-4 split decision, the court ruled in favor of Morse and upheld the school board’s original ruling that Morse was acting within her rights and did not violate Frederick’s First Amendment rights by taking away his

|Name of Case: Morse v. Frederick |“bong hits for Jesus.” The principal in this case went |disruption of other students. |

Juneau-Douglas High School was in session during the Olympic Torch Relay for the 2002 winter Olympics. The school decided that it would let its students and faculty out for a short period to watch as the torchbearers passed the school. This was considered a school event and was treated as a field trip. Joseph Frederick was a senior at JDHS. He was a bit late coming to school that day. When Frederick arrived to school during the event, he met up with some of his friends. They soon pulled out fourteen-foot banner that had the phrase: “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS”. The school’s principal, Deborah Morse, almost immediately told the students to take down the banner. All but one student complied with Morse. That student was Joseph Frederick. She told the boys to take the sign down because she believed that the sign was encouraging the use of illegal drugs in school. She told Frederick to report to her office where she later punished him by suspending him for ten days.

The case of Morse et al. v. Frederick was argued by the Supreme Court in 2007. This was a First Amendment case, centered on the basic right of freedom of speech as defined in the Constitution of the United States. The facts that contributed to the issue took place during a High School assembly event. A group of students had displayed a banner that read “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS.” The High School Principal (Morse) saw this as an illegal drug reference, and was responsible for eliminating such references as outlined in the school’s policy. That being taken into consideration, Principal Morse promptly demanded the students to take down banner, upon which one student who brought the banner (Frederick) refused. Principal Morse confiscated the banner and additionally suspended Frederick from school. The school superintendent and the school board both supported the suspension by Principal Morse, under the premise that Frederick was suspended for violation of school policy which occurred when the words that were displayed on his banner supported illegal drug use.

During the Olympic Torch Relay through Juneau, Alaska on January 24, 2002, Joseph Frederick, senior at Juneau-Douglas High School, held up a banner saying "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" Principal, Deborah Morse, told Frederick to put away the banner, because she was concerned it could be encouraging illegal drug activity. Frederick refused to take the sign down, so she took the banner from him. Frederick was suspended from school for 10 days for violating school policy, which does not allow any use or advertisement of illegal drugs. But later, Frederick took the principal in front of a jury to settle the consequences. Frederick believed Morse was going against the First Amendment, Freedom of Speech. The U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska ruled in Morse favor, saying that Frederick's action was not protected by the First Amendment.

A public school student was suspended for displaying a banner promoting drug use at a school event. In 2002, the Olympic Torch Relay passed through Juneau, Alaska on the way to the winter games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since it passed right in front of the public high school, students attended with their teachers as a school-sponsored event. As the runners passed by, a senior named Joseph Frederick, with the help of others, held up a 14-foot banner that read: “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS.” The principal, Deborah Morse, confiscated the banner and suspended Mr. Frederick. Mr. Frederick sued the school, and the principal, for violating his 1st Amendment rights.

In the early months of 2002, Juneau-Douglas High School in Juneau Alaska, held a school-sponsored and faculty supervised event, held off of school property, to observe the Olympic Torch pass through their area. When television cameras began to turn in the direction of a group of students, they unfurled a banner with the phrase “BONG HiTS [sic] 4 JESUS”. The school principle, Deborah Morse, told the students to remove the banner and one of them named Joseph Frederick refused, compelling Morse to confiscated the banner claiming it promoted illegal drug use and suspended Frederick [1]. The school district superintendent supported Morse and permitted the suspension, stating the banner was in violation of school policy by endorsing the use of

Facts:at a school event Frederick held up a banner saying “Bong Hits 4 jesus” referencing marijuana smoking. The principal took the banner and suspended frederick for 10 days. Saying his actions went against the school's policy against the display of pro drugs. Frederick sued for a violation of his 1st amendment right to freedom of speech.

A public school student who was named Joseph Fredrick attended Juneau-Douglas High School. He was suspended for displaying a banner saying " Bongs Hits Jesus", at a Olympic Torch Relay that was part of a school activity. Deborah Morse the principal at Juneau-Douglas High School was worried that the sign could be interpreted by people as advocating illegal drugs. Fredrick was then suspended by Deborah Morse for not obeying and violating the schools policy that doesn't allow advocating the use of illegal drugs. Fredrick sued them because he believed it was violating his right to freedom of speech.

The case of Morse v. Frederick took place in Juneau, Alaska in 2002. At the time, the 2002 Olympics were passing by this town and principal Deborah Morse allowed her students to go out in the street to see the relay (Barnes). One student by the name of Joseph Frederick held up a 14-foot long poster with the phrase “BONG HITS 4 JESUS” which infers the use of marijuana. He did this so he could be shown on television. His principal thought this message was not school appropriate to show so she suspended him for 10 days (Barnes). Frederick went on to sue Ms. Morse and the school as he asserted that they had broken his first amendment right (Morse).

Coach Mike played 4 years of baseball at Westmont High School as a starting pitcher and utility outfielder. He also played 2 years of baseball with the DuPage Red Angels. Additionally, Coach Mike has extensive experience working with children and during his tenure with the Bulls/Sox Training Academy he was selected as a top instructor for two consecutive years (2013-2014).

The events that took place at Washington High Schools have caused a division between the students, teachers and administration. While some support the decision the principal has made to suspend the students for their untasteful talent show performance, others question its effectiveness. Shortly after the suspension, the students began segregating themselves and exchanging racial comments. The situation has escalated out of control and it has become a political one; leaders of the African American community want to discuss the talent show protest and are demanding a meeting with the principal.