The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Safford Unified School District v. Redding is a sign that the High Court's drug war fever may finally be breaking. Savana Redding, a thirteen-year-old honor student, was strip-searched at school after a classmate falsely accused her of possessing prescription-strength ibuprofen (one pill is equivalent to two Advil). The school's zero tolerance policy prevents students from bringing any medication (prescription or over-the-counter) to school without administrative approval. [continues 647 words]
WASHINGTON--The U.S. Supreme Court rapped school officials for strip-searching a 13-year-old girl in a fruitless hunt for ibuprofen, ruling that an overzealous investigation based on scant evidence violated the Fourth Amendment ban on "unreasonable searches and seizures." The 8-1 vote provided a victory for student rights. In 2007, the justices went in the opposite direction, ruling that a school campaign to discourage drug abuse outweighed a teenager's First Amendment right to mock such efforts. [continues 862 words]
The perception of rampant teenage OxyContin abuse in Juneau is fomenting support for mandatory random drug testing of high school students in sports and activities. A group calling itself Taking Action has formed and is pushing for drug testing in schools. Earlier this week, Juneau-Douglas High School football coach Bill Chalmers told the School Board that he was considering quitting coaching if the district doesn't implement a drug testing program by the fall. Jeff Duvernay, a member of Taking Action and president of the local Little League, said a drug testing program would be a tool to help curb the rampant use of OxyContin among teenagers in Juneau. OxyContin is the name brand of an extended-release form of oxycodone, an opiate medication prescribed for pain. [continues 950 words]
Court Case Tests Limits of Anti-Drug Programs SAFFORD, Ariz. -- Eighth-grader Savana Redding was scared and confused when an assistant principal searching for drugs ordered her out of math class, searched her backpack and then instructed an administrative aide and school nurse to conduct a strip search. "I went into the nurse's office and kept following what they asked me to do," Savana, now 19, recalls of the incident six years ago that she says still leaves her shaken and humiliated. "I thought, 'What could I be in trouble for?'" [continues 1945 words]
A group of 20 students held protests signs to passing traffic at the intersection of Whidbey Avenue and Oak Harbor Street, under the bruise-colored clouds of Thursday afternoon. Their signs were scrawled with "Free Speech" and the sign on the building behind them read "Oak Harbor School District Office." "This office is the dead-center of the district. What better way to send a message," student Dustin Gehring said. Students assembled at this intersection for three days, and argued their free speech rights had been violated by Oak Harbor High School staff. [continues 726 words]
Whoever thought that a simple banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" could spark a six-and-a-half-year outcry? Thursday marked the day that a former senior high school student was finally freed from the court system's long and arduous grasp. Yes people, I am talking about Joseph Frederick. Since we were all much younger people when little Joseph's crime initially took place, allow me to explain his story. In 2002, high school senior Joseph Frederick was suspended from an Olympic torch relay at his high school in Juneau, Alaska, for displaying a sign reading "Bong Hits for Jesus." The school's accusation? The sign promoted illegal drug use. He faced suspension from school due to his antics. [continues 421 words]
Agreement Includes A $45,000 Payment To Former Student Officials say the final chapter of the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" saga has been written with a settlement being reached between the Juneau Board of Education and former Juneau-Douglas High School student Joseph Frederick. After nearly seven years of litigation that landed the case in the nation's highest court, the Juneau School Board reached a settlement agreement Monday night that includes a $45,000 payment to Frederick. Former JDHS Principal Deb Morse suspended Frederick in 2002 during the Olympic Torch Relay for holding up a banner across from the high school that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." [continues 421 words]
$45,000: Juneau School District Will Pay Student It Suspended. JUNEAU -- The seven-year Bong Hits 4 Jesus saga appears to be over. In a free speech case that reached the nation's highest court, the Juneau-Douglas School District and former student Joseph Frederick have reached a settlement. Frederick was suspended during a 2002 Olympic torch relay for holding up a banner that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" while standing across from the high school. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the school's position that Frederick celebrated the illegal use of drugs. The district will pay Frederick $45,000. In exchange Frederick will drop remaining claims not heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. [continues 295 words]
School administrators can gain from a recent court decision some much-needed guidance on how to react to student voices they dislike. The good news for students - and for all Americans - is that this newest legal lesson supports more speech instead of placing more limits on student expression. A landmark 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision - Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District, involving students and Vietnam War protest armbands - put forth the idea that young citizens don't automatically surrender their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse door. But since then, courts at various levels have set about defining when and how officials legally could shut down student expression. A number of those legal limits have been driven by security, education or drug-related concerns. [continues 477 words]
School administrators can gain from a recent court decision some much-needed guidance on how to react to student voices they dislike. The good news for students -- and for all Americans -- is that this newest legal lesson supports more speech instead of more limits on student expression. A landmark 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision -- Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, involving students and Vietnam War protest armbands -- put forth the idea that young citizens don't automatically surrender their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse door. [continues 392 words]
School administrators can gain from a recent court decision some much-needed guidance on how to react to student voices they dislike. The good news for students -- and for all Americans -- is that this newest legal lesson supports more speech instead of placing more limits on student expression. A landmark 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision -- Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, involving students and Vietnam War protest armbands -- put forth the idea that young citizens don't automatically surrender their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse door. [continues 512 words]
Mertz Says Supreme Court Ruling Did Not Address All the Issues Involved in the Case The "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case is headed back to court. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the case in September, local attorney Doug Mertz said Wednesday. Mertz represents Joseph Frederick, the former Juneau-Douglas High School student who displayed the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner that sparked a free speech debate that has been going on for six years and has been heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. [continues 264 words]
What's been heralded as a "showdown" -- the appearance of baseball pitcher Roger Clemens before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform tomorrow-- is more likely to be a show. The purpose is to scour for more information regarding the " Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball." In the lingo of dugouts and bullpens, they want to get the dope on doping. [continues 659 words]
The Scout's newsroom usually buzzed with a bunch of us neophyte journalists publishing a biweekly paper for our suburban high school. But on one cold day in January 1988, we had something else on our minds besides college acceptance letters and prospective prom dates. That day, the Supreme Court ruled that high school students did not share the same First Amendment rights of free expression as adults. Our adviser's wide blue eyes flashed with anger as she tried to explain what had happened in the Hazelwood School District outside St. Louis. The district was not unlike ours: suburban, middle class, full of young people who had been brought up to believe the government's protections extended to them. [continues 571 words]
The Juneau School District's decision to go after former student Joseph Frederick to pay its court fees demonstrates how the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" saga has degenerated. The district appears to be acting out of spite, especially if one considers that $5,000 is just a drop in the bucket compared to its overall operating budget. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that the school district did indeed have the right to suspend Frederick from school after he unfurled a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" at a 2002 Olympic torch rally, a school-sponsored event. [continues 321 words]
A lawyer representing the former local high school student whose "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner unfurled a lengthy free speech debate is accusing the attorney for the Juneau School Board of harassing his client over a $5,000 legal bill. Douglas Mertz said the board's lawyer is trying to force his client, Joseph Frederick, to leave his job in China to face a February deposition in Juneau regarding his personal finances. "The only motive here is revenge, retaliation and harassment," said Mertz, who filed a motion Tuesday with the U.S. District Court to prevent Frederick from being forced to appear in court in person. [continues 751 words]
Attorney Mertz Says He Expects to File Appeal to Ninth Circuit Court The Juneau School Board held a closed-door executive session Tuesday to discuss a recent settlement offer in the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case. The offer came from Juneau attorney Doug Mertz, who served as lead counsel in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case for nearly six years. The proposed settlement amount was not disclosed. If the Juneau School District passes on the settlement offer, Mertz said the free speech case would return to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on state, rather than federal, constitutional issues. [continues 161 words]
Virtual Banners Test Players' Knowledge of Free Speech Rights Google "Bong Hits 4 Jesus," and links to 923,000 pages discussing the landmark Supreme Court case pop up. At the bottom of the second page is a game that promises to educate high school students about their rights to free speech. "Bong Hits 4 Jesus The Game" is inspired by the speech debate that erupted around Frederick's suit against Deborah Morse, Juneau-Douglas High School principal at the time, and the Juneau School District on his claims they violated his civil rights. [continues 635 words]
Offensive or just free speech? For decades, high school students have challenged the boundaries of free speech in school, often by wearing material that adults find inappropriate. Here, a student reporter investigates whether anyone's rights were really violated by the banning of controversial T-shirts. Last Friday morning as students entered school, a group of seniors were pulled aside, all with one thing noticeably in common: their shirts. These bright green T-shirts, with the words ".08" on the front and "Legally gone" on the back, have been the topic of conversation amongst the senior class in the past week. [continues 571 words]
To the Editor: Regarding Alex Kreit's Commentary "'Bong Hits' for Student Speech" (Aug. 29, 2007): The U.S. Supreme Court should take a cue from the nonsensical banner "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" that inspired its decision to limit student free speech. It might do the justices some good to take a few bong hits for Jesus. Before sacrificing any more civil liberties at the altar of the drug war, they should ask themselves: What would Jesus do? Would Jesus persecute, incarcerate, and deny forgiveness to nonviolent drug offenders? Zero tolerance is decidedly un-Christian. [continues 166 words]
