Bong Hits for Jesus

Joseph Frederick v. Deborah Morse and the Juneau School Board

The Evening News Report:

In breaking news this evening the results for the free-speech student rights's case has just been sent to our news room. In the Supreme Court Case Morse v. Frederick, simply referred to as "Bong Hits for Jesus", the United States Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 in favor of the Juneau School Board. The events leading up to this final decision occured as such...

-On January 24, 2002, students from Juneau-Douglas High School were permitted to attend the passing of the torch for the 2002 Olympics. Together various public high schools gathered to witness this triumphant event in Alaska's history. 18 year old Joseph Frederick decided that this would be a good time to express his free speech rights and he unfurled a banner reading, "BONG HiTS FOR JESUS". Frederick and some friends purposely waited until television cameras were present at the event to present this message not only to Juneau but the world. The principle of the high school, Deborah Morse, was outraged by the students' rebellious actions. She immediately took the banner down and proceeded to suspend Frederick for five days due to his actions. She claimed that the banner violated Juneau-Douglas' substance free policies and eventually upped his punishment to ten days. Frederick appealed his suspension twice, once he appealed directly to the school and had no luck and then he appealed the to the Juneau School Board who was more sympathetic to his case.

-On April 25, 2002 Frederick filed a civil rights law suit against Morse and the entire school board. This suit was dealt with in the United States District Court of Alaska. The young man claimed that his suspension violated his First Amendment as protected under the freedom of speech clause. The District Court ruled in favor of the establishment over the student because his message promoted drug use.

-The Ninth Circuit then took the case and ruled in favor of Frederick. They decided that because Frederick was at a school sponsored event and because his banner was taken down his rights were in fact violated. Student's rights are respected by public schools in school and even though it did not take place with in the confines of Juneau-Douglas property Frederick's rights should have been respected on a field trip.

Finally today, March 19, 2009, Chief Justice Roberts wrote up the decision which choose that the school board did not, I repeat did not, violate Frederick's rights. Taking down his banner was good because it was an obvious drug reference and because they were at a school sponsored event his rights were limited the to the type of speech allowed within the school. During the in court discussion reference was made to the Tinker v. Des Moines case. In this case the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the three student who wore black arm bands to school in a protest again the Vietnam War. The court again decided that these decisions did not work together because pro-peace messages and pro-drug messages are in two different levels within the Constitution.

For more on this case watch our late night report where we will be interviewing Joseph and his family about there opinion on the event. Now to Susan with the sports...