ABSTRACT
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees, in part: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.…” This amendment covers a variety of situations that could occur in schools, ranging from dress codes to Internet use. In these instances, freedom of speech may combine with other rights, such as freedom of expression and the right to privacy. This chapter covers five very different court decisions involving the First Amendment in schools. These cases involve a student-produced rap song on an Internet web site, appropriateness of messages on student T-shirts, a student writing a violent poem, students wearing “I love Boobie” bracelets as part of a breast cancer awareness campaign, and a teacher who acts as a whistle blower on behalf of students with disabilities. The challenge to readers as they review these cases is to consider whether there are ethical issues beyond the actual court decision and, if so, what these issues are and how might they be handled.
