morse v. frederick

Supreme Court Rules on Bong Hits For Jesus

Although the story behind Morse v. Frederick is quite humorous and littered with absurd details, the ramifications of the Supreme Court's decision goes beyond entertainment and is far more than a joke. After five years Joseph Frederick's "experiment in free speech," is finally over. Today's US Supreme Court ruling reversed a Ninth Circuit finding and concluded that school officials "did not violate the First Amendment by confiscating the pro-drug banner and suspending the student responsible for it."

As a senior in high school in the city of Juneau, Alaska, Mr. Frederick created a large banner that read "Bong Hits For Jesus" and unveiled the banner outside his school on the sidewalk while the Olympic torch relay accompanied by television camera crews passed by on the way to the 2002 games. Upon seeing the spectacle, the principal, Deborah Morse, seized the banner and suspended Frederick for violating the school's anti-drug policy. Frederick appealed and eventually filed a lawsuit in federal court.

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Originally posted at Media Sphere

June 25, 2007 4:20 PM PDT By Josh Wolf

Topics:

1st Amendment,

News,

Commentary,

United States

Tags:

bong hits for jesus,

free speech,

alaska,

first amendment,

supreme court,

morse v. frederick