The Importance Of Free Speech

With a wide variety of people on colleges campuses, it is almost impossible to please everybody; whether it comes to class times, bus schedules, or grading rules, somebody is upset. As well as these smaller issues, more controversial arguments come into play. One of these arguments is against free speech zones on college campuses. These zones restrict speech to a specific area on campus, however, still allowing any type of group to express their beliefs to anybody passing. Some claim these zones as unconstitutional because it restricts a student’s right to free speech. However, others view the zones as helpful in controlling protests and current tensions on campus. Open speech across campus is incredibly difficult to monitor because of the enormous size of current day campuses and the immense amount of different views. In the past, there have been situations relating to violent protesting and negative speech across campuses. Because of this, campuses have begun enforcing free speech zones in which students and faculty may verbally express their beliefs.

This document supports limiting online student speech because the court ruled that even though it happened out of school, the school’s reason was strong enough to justify their actions toward K.K.

Des Moines is an important case for free speech in the United States. It affirms that students don’t lose their rights when they go to school. However, it also affirmed that schools can limit speech that “materially disrupts classwork or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others” (Tinker v. Des Moines, 1969). However, the Court has ruled that there are times that the school can limit speech. In 1986, the Supreme Court ruled in Bethel v. Fraser that students can be disciplined for using vulgar and offensive language in school (Gooden, Eckes, Mead, McNeal, & Torres, 2013, p. 25). This case differed from Tinker v. Des Moines because that case was about political speech or expression. Another example of where school can limit the First Amendment is school sponsored newspapers. This was affirmed by the Court in Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988). That decision stated that schools can reasonably limit the content of school-sponsored newspapers (Gooden, Eckes, Mead, McNeal, & Torres, 2013, p.

Citizens in America are born with a various amount of rights. One of these rights include the freedom of speech and expression. However, school administrators have the ability to restrict a student’s expression. The Supreme Court Cases ‘Bethel School District v. Fraser’ and ‘Frederick V. Morse’ gave schools the right for the administrators to discipline children when they see fit. Students should be able to express themselves in any way without fearing that their school administrators will discipline

In 1969, three young activists walked into school and were told they could not symbolically express themselves. Without these teens carrying out this simple act of rebellion, students today would lack basic rights in the school place, as they would have no outlet outside of the home to express their views. In order to understand Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District one must examine the history behind the case, analyze the case itself, and evaluate the impacts on modern society.

The decision in this case seems to have left public school students’ free speech rights in an ambiguous state. The Justices in support of the majority opinion—Justices Thomas, Alito, Kennedy, and Scalia—were thus

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech.” Indeed, free speech is a large block upon which this nation was first constructed, and remains a hard staple of America today; and in few places is that freedom more often utilized than on a college campus. However, there are limitations to our constitutional liberties on campus and they, most frequently, manifest themselves in the form of free speech zones, hate speech and poor university policy. Most school codes are designed to protect students, protect educators and to promote a stable, non-disruptive and non-threatening learning environment. However, students’ verbal freedom

In the pursuit of education, students strive to learn and develop their understanding of the world that surrounds them. Accordingly, it is the responsibility of the school administration to provide the means to that end. Yet, there is a polarized divide among schools and their interpretation of freedom of speech. This occurrence is experienced primarily at the university level but can be seen at all levels of education. At the epicenter of this dispute is the notion of censorship, specifically whether or not it is feasible to restrict what can and cannot be said by faculty and students alike. Advocates of freedom of speech assert that censorship violates our First Amendment right, a liberty that is inalienable. Proponents also argue that

In an era where school violence seems to have become an alarming trend, schools across the country face a never-ending battle where they must walk a thin line between providing safety to their students without restricting or prohibiting their freedom of speech and expression. Unfortunately, the case of Riley Stratton is one of several examples where schools have overstepped their authoritative bounds by disciplining students for expressing their own thoughts and opinions off school campus.

America’s Founding Fathers gave Americans certain rights when they established this great nation. These rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as well as other constitutional rights like freedom of religion, protection against self-incrimination, and the right to bear arms in defense. One of the most important of the freedoms bestowed upon American citizens by their inspired founding fathers is the freedom of speech. Americans have the right to speak their minds without the worry of punishment by the government. An example of this is the Tinker V. Des Moines Independent Community School District case in the years 1968-1969. In this Supreme Court case, the Tinker family was fighting for their right to symbolic speech at school. Another case regarding Freedom of Speech at a school is Hazelwood School District V. Kuhlmeier. This case is also concerning the right to free speech at school. Free speech in school greatly affects many people. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “In fall 2016, about 50.4 million students will attend public elementary and secondary schools… In fall 2016, some 20.5 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities” (A-Z). This means that these laws and related issues will affect about 70 million people.

One of the main issues is a student’s right to free speech. This was brought to everyone’s attention back in 1943 in

Morain, Tom. “Students’ Right to Freedom of Speech: The Tinker Case.” Iowa Pathways. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Feb. 2016. .

Chapter Eight overviews the freedom of student speech and expression on public school property. The First Amendment provides students with the ability to openly speech and express themselves; however, there are limitations to these rights. Schools must balance the students right to free speech and expression with the need for a safe school that is advantageous for learning. As teachers and administrators, it is important to recognize that freedom of speech and expression is not strictly defined to the spoken word. Students are afforded the freedom to express themselves in what they wear, the style of their hair, etc. So long as this expression does not infringe on the school’s ability to educate the students.

“Students … [do not] shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gates.”

Despite the many positive view points of students having complete freedom of speech in school, it can be hardly argue that there are many drawbacks from the idea. Students in public school are still adolescence which many people view as still consider immature and irresponsible to themselves and others around them. In school settings it can be said that “Learning is more important in the classroom than free speech” (Hudson David L.). The general purpose of school is to teach students about the