Pubdate: Tue, 26 Jun 2007
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2007 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Bong+Hits+4+Jesus (Bong Hits 4 Jesus)

DRAWING A LINE ON 'SPEECH'

Yes, kids will be kids, and that's why schools are  expected to 
impose some level of order and civility on  them - to do what good 
parents are supposed to do - set  limits.

And yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court said that's OK.  The 5-4 
decision came in the case of a Juneau, Alaska,  high school student 
who on a winter morning in 2002  decided to unfurl a homemade 14-foot 
banner saying  "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" as the Olympic torch was 
passing  by. The school principal wasn't pleased at what she  thought 
was a pro-drug message and suspended Joseph  Frederick, thus 
prompting a federal civil rights  lawsuit.

No, students don't check all of their constitutional  rights at the 
schoolhouse door. But schools are also  within their rights to do 
what they must to maintain an  atmosphere conducive to learning. 
Yesterday once again  the Supreme Court addressed where that line 
should be drawn, and most parents will be just fine with that.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman