The U.S. Supreme Court passed on a free speech case concerning a Pennsylvania middle school’s ban on “I Heart Bobbies” bracelet that students wore on campus to increase cancer awareness. The administration claimed that the bracelets were disruptive in conveying a lewd message. The decision leaves a federal court of appeals decision for the students in place. The appeals court ruled that the school district did not prove their case that the bracelets were disruptive. (FindLaw, March 11, 2014, by Aditi Mukherji)
An American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who represented the students said after the Supreme Court decision, “School administrators need to acknowledge that not everything that makes you uncomfortable needs to be censored.” But a National School Boards Association lawyer, Francisco Negron, Jr., said the schools needs guidance on the issue that the Court could have provided. It is difficult for the schools to determine how to balance free speech against messages that could harm students, he said. (Student Press Law Center, March 10, 2014, by Casey McDermott)