WASHINGTON — "The U.S. Supreme Court tightened limits on student speech Monday, ruling against a high school student and his 14-foot-long "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner.
Schools may prohibit student expression that can be interpreted as advocating drug use, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court.
Joseph Frederick unfurled his homemade sign on a winter morning in 2002, as the Olympic torch made its way through Juneau, Alaska, en route to the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Frederick said the banner was a nonsensical message that he first saw on a snowboard. He intended the banner to proclaim his right to say anything at all.
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His principal, Deborah Morse, said the phrase was a pro-drug message that had no place at a school-sanctioned event. Frederick denied that he was advocating drug use.
"The message on Frederick's banner is cryptic," Roberts said. "But Principal Morse thought the banner would be interpreted by those viewing it as promoting illegal drug use, and that interpretation is plainly a reasonable one."
Kids are kids. Left to their own resources, they'll test authority at every turn. A more liberal Supreme Court would have let it go at that but there's no such thing as "proclaiming a right to say anything at all", because NO ONE can say everything that comes to mind, certainly not in a school environment. That's called learning to be an adult. I have the same use for Master Frederick as I do for the slovenly sloths who call teachers "Ho's" to their face.
None.
Grow up. Learn some discipline. And respect.
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