The Importance Of The First Amendment In Schools

An estimated 60 million students will attend school in 2017 according to the Department of Education. While many students will not know their rights while attending elementary or high school, student’s constitutional rights do not disappear when they walk through the doors of any place of education. One right that is crucial to students, is the First Amendment. Under the First Amendment students have free speech and freedom of expression but many school administrators attempt to limit these rights. One example is Tinker vs Des Moines Independent Community School District. In 1969 students peacefully protested the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to school. School administrators banned the armbands and suspended the students from school. When brought to the Supreme Court, Justice Abe Fortas stated, “School officials do not possess absolute authority over their students. Students in school as well as out of school are ‘persons’ under our Constitution. They are possessed of fundamental rights which the State must respect.” So why do schools constantly attempt to limit the power of its students? With today’s recent events, the public has seen many cases of
Cortsen High School took Conner’s punishment too far in the case of banning him from football and all other extracurricular activities. Excluding Connor from sports and school activities, which are shown to be beneficial for students in more ways than one, contradicts the very purpose that schools give to their students. Schools are meant to be a creative, social, and physical outlet for students who participate in sports, clubs, and other activities. Schools should focus on other topics, such as the problem of underage drinking throughout American, than one athlete kneeling for the fair treatment of the children of undocumented