Comments on: UPDATED: School district says suspended student’s anti-Obama shirt caused ‘disruption’

By: eluning

eluning — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:39:43 +0000

One question, Jack. Do you believe the First Amendment exists to protect only political speech that doesn't cause a "distraction"? If political speech doesn't bother anyone, why would it need Constitutional protection? The First Amendment exists precisely to protect political speech that bothers people.

By: eluning

eluning — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:39:43 +0000

By: eluning

eluning — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:39:43 +0000

By: eluning

eluning — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:39:43 +0000

By: Sidd

Sidd — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:40:08 +0000

Hey jack you said “anyone who says otherwise is an idiot” you sound like the perfect little liberal. If no one agrees with you you berate and and brow beat them, talk about a good little follower. The school asked for kids to make these shirts and then they have a problem with it? They say it caused a disruption? no I think what happened it caused a disruption to the Liberal staff who obviously support a person who should NOT be in office, check out his book he said in his own words if the political climate changes against Muslims he would side with them. So you keep goose stepping and towing that party line cause we all know that Democrats are the MOST honest not that Republicans are any better. And just to let you know Im NOT a Republican or a Democrat, I just want what best for this country and Obama aint it, neither is McCain but I'll vote for Mcain the lesser of two evils. Mcain has only one answer which is not good, Obama has none, unless you call supporting terrorists, and change an answer. Change, intresting platform funny thats all he says is change but he doesnt say what hes changing the country to.

By: Alexander

Alexander — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:52:58 +0000

What gets me is the fact that in my school I see shirts taht are “disruptive to the learning environment.” The shirts that I see are very violent. This kids shirt is nothing compared to the shirts I ahve seen. Its outrageous. hwo does it disrupt a students learning environment?

By: Wildflower

Wildflower — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:06:41 +0000

Also a couple of videos on Fox 31 online, one of the superintendent and one with the boy and his dad.
That would be the dad who picketed the dr's. house I guess, scary fellow if you ask me.

By: hall monitor

hall monitor — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:24:13 +0000

This story made http://detentionslip.org! Check it out for all the crazy headlines from our schools.

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:55:48 +0000

E. Christopher Murray, a partner at New York law firm Reisman, Peirez and Reisman and the president of the New York chapter of the Civil Liberties Union sent the Law Blog the following in an e-mail: “The wearing of this t-shirt can only be prohibited if it could cause a risk of material disruption at the school,” wrote Murray. “It is hard to see how this t-shirt could be viewed this way. Students have a constitutional right to express their opinions about politics, and this t-shirt was not vulgar or anything other than a political statement. While the courts have recently cut back on student’s rights of expression, this case clearly seems to be an illegal curtailment of this student’s rights. ” —————————————————

You're wrong. Schools have policies, and they followed through with it. If the shirt was causing a distraction, they have the right to intervene. That WAS the case here, anyone who says otherwise is an idiot. The school isn't trying to prevent the student from expressing anything.