Six Supreme Court Cases

• West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette PDF, 319 U.S. 624 (1943)
• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Sch. District PDF, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)
• Bethel Sch. District No. 403 v. Fraser PDF, 478 U.S. 675 (1986)
• New Jersey v. T.L.O. PDF, 469 U.S. 325 (1985)
• Vernonia Sch. District 47J v. Acton PDF, 515 U.S. 646 (1995)
• Board of Educ. of Independent Sch. District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls PDF, 536 U.S. 822 (2002)

Should Questions

1. Should a religious group of students be allowed to gather outside at the school flagpole before school starts?

• See Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District PDF, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)

2. Suppose that some students want to show support for a political candidate by wearing campaign pins to school. Should a school be allowed to have a policy against wearing items that show support for political candidates?

• See Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District PDF, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)

3. Suppose a school has a dress code that allows female students to wear open-toed shoes to school, but requires male students to wear close-toed shoes. Suppose further that a student group organizes a protest of the policy by encouraging male students to wear sandals to school for one day. Should a principal have the right to penalize male students for violating the dress code?

• See Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District PDF, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)

4. No question.

5. Suppose a parent reports that a student was showing off a hunting rifle in the school parking lot. Should a principal have the right to conduct a search of a student’s backpack?

• See New Jersey v. T.L.O. PDF, 469 U.S. 325 (1985)

6. No question.

7. Suppose that a public school policy allows students to refuse to submit to drug testing as long as they do not attend the school prom. Should a school be able to require students to consent to random, suspicionless drug testing as a condition for purchasing prom tickets?

• See Vernonia School District 47J v. Acton PDF, 515 U.S. 646 (1995)
• See Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls PDF, 536 U.S. 822 (2002)