Scanning the headlines of blog postings that have to do with students’ freedom of speech/press the words “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” definitely caught my attention. Considering the full title of the blog was “”Bong Hits 4 Jesus” to the Supreme Court”, I must confess that this blog piqued my interest. It seems almost too ridiculous to be true.
However, according to this Student Mentor Blog, posted by “Josh” on March 30, the Supreme Court will be addressing a case that deals with the suspension of a high school student for holding up a sign with the above words during a local parade. Keep in mind that this incident happened 5 years ago, the student was 18 years old, it occured off of school grounds, and the student, Joseph Frederick, has won every single case in the lower courts.
According to “Josh”, what happened was:
“Normally, the student, Joseph Frederick, who was 18 years old at the time, could not recieve any disciplinary action for the event, since he was a private adult citizen expressing his veiws … however, the catch is that his school had been let out early to watch the Olympic procession on its way to the 2002 games in Salt Lake City. Thus the parade became a quasi-school sponsored event, as teachers and administration were present, watching the parade along with the students and the rest of the city.”
Here Frederick held up the extremely ill-advised sign stating “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” – to all accounts a stupid, non-sensical quest for attention. “Josh” writes,
“his principal, who witnessed him unfurling the sign and told him that he had to put it away or face disciplinary action. He refused, and she immediately suspended him for 10 days.”
Okay. So those are the facts. Now, did this principal have the right to suspend Frederick in this instance? “Josh” seems to think that she didn’t, and I think I would have to agree. Why? Well, just keep reading.
1. If this took place on school grounds, say during a pep rally, I would be the first one to advocate disciplinary action. Drug references meant to disrupt are completely innappropriate. However, this was off of school grounds.
2. If attending the parade was a fieldtrip, a school sponsored event, then yes, Frederick’s suspension would have been completely justified. In that case, he would have been acting as a representative of his school. However, he wasn’t. School had been let out, so he was completely on his own.
3. If the parade was connected to school, say a parade to congradulate the state champion football team, then the disciplinary action would have been just. Though this is less clear cut, Frederick would have been purposely disrupting a school event. As a student, he would fall under school administration in this case. But it wasn’t.
4. Maybe, if Frederick had been a minor, the principal would have had more justification, but I don’t really think so. Being a legal adult does not change his right to freedom of speech in this case; it just emphasizes it.
So, even though I can understand the principal’s motivation in warning and then suspending Frederick, even though I think Frederick made a poor decision in making and then flying the banner, I think that the court case is unfounded.
My question is, who is pushing this case all the way up to the Supreme Court? There doesn’t seem to be any question in my mind as to what the ruling must be. Especially since,
“Joseph Frederick has won at every single lower level court against Deborah Morse, the principal who suspended him.”
If you have read my previous postings, you will have realized that I am a very strong proponent for freedom of speech, but in this case, even if I wasn’t, I don’t understand the principal’s actions. I would probably also have the instinct to tell Frederick to lower his statement were I a teacher or principal. But, considering the circumstances, I would probably have limited myself to advising him of the stupidity of his action, of possible repurcussions, and of whether that was really how he wanted to present himself to the world.
Read Full Blog. “‘Bong Hits 4 Jesus’ to the Supreme Court.” Josh. March 30, 2007.
Wow, what an interesting article. I can’t say I’ve yet come across one that is that eye-catching. Freedom of speech, and any of our freedoms are such a touchy subject because they are so valued (rightly so). I always hesitate on saying anything for or against cases like this because honestly I don’t know what is right or what I would do or be expected to do in the principal’s situation. I don’t know that if I was a parent of another, younger, student attending the parade at the request of the school that I wouldn’t expect the principal to take action to protect the majority of the students from the “bong hits 4 Jesus” sign. But I think that if I were the parent of the student holding the sign I would first be upset at the disrespect, then be upset that he was being punished at school for something that was done outside of school.
I give you a lot of credit for picking a side, I’m way to wishy-washy!
-Cassie
Comment by picketca — April 15, 2007 @ 6:55 pm
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I had heard something about this before, but I either heard it in passing or did not pay much attention. So, when I saw you wrote a blog about the case, I was really interested.
First of all, I have to say that I completely agree with you on every account. The event had nothing to do with school, it didn’t take place there and it wasn’t associated with it, and he was an adult.
I am most interested in finding out, like you, why the case has made it all the way to the Supreme Court. It doesn’t seem justifiable – not only because every other court has sided with Frederick, but because it is obvious that to side with the principal would be siding against a person’s right to freedom of speech. It boggles the mind that someone is so adamantly set against what Frederick did to take it this far. Seriously, all I have to say is what has the world come to?
Yes, Frederick may have been wrong about what he did, but the punishment should come from his parents, not from the principal. The principal could have sat down and talked to him and his parents about it and why it was inappropriate, as Cassie said, but to feel she has the right to suspend him and then push this thing through court over and over is ridiculous.
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