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Do High School Students Have Rights Too?

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justwondering

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? California
So heres the story......
There was a contest at my high school run through the school newspaper that entitled that you draw a comic and submit to the newspaper and whomever won recieved a prize. So my friend happened to win this contest and won the prize. The thing is, in his comic he happened to cleverly hide what appeared to be the male genitalia throughout the comic. The editor of the newspaper failed to spot the alleged penis and this comic was published in the school newspaper, penis and all. The alleged penis was not discovered until three days after the paper was published at which time all the newspapers were confiscated. My friend was called into the office and was suspended for five days for: "commiting an obscene act or engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity" and for "disrupting school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties," and the advisor of the paper, which is a teacher, was not at all reprimanded for the approval of the publishing of the comic. So the next day some friends and I came up with the idea to protest the fact that the editor did not get in trouble and to protest a prior incident that happened in the schools yearbook the last year when an "L", representing loser, was drawn on a girls head. Even though the administration knew who had done this,which happened to be a teacher, no action was taken, but thats a whole other story. So the following day a couple of friends and I all wore T-shirts that said "Free Kevin" on them, but on mine I had taped the cartoon on it. The principal found out that I had the cartoon on my shirt and I was sent to the prinicpal's office. I had done research the night before though, and thought that in no way that I could get in trouble for this act and I quote our student handbook that students "Learn Non-Violent skills that aid in self-discipline and problem solving," which is found under the code of behavior section. I felt that in this non-violent protest, that we had organized, was completely harmless and nothing would come of it except that maybe the administration would know that students were angry at the decision made by the administration. So when I was talking with the assistant principal I told them the same story as above. They told me that this was not appropriate for school and I told them that all I was doing was standing up for what I believe in. Even though I tried to reason with the assistant principal, I was still suspended for the rest of the day for:"commiting an obscene act or engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity" and for "disrupting school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties." I do not know how I willfully defied any of the authority figures since I cooperated with everyone. So my question is do I as a student have the right to peacefully protest at school, under what I thought was under the school rules, without fear of getting in trouble and do I as a minor share the same rights as adults with the first ammendment to freedom of speech, no matter how controversial the subject or in the event of a protest shouldn't the party be able to come together and be treated fairly by authorities?
 
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Ohiogal

Queen Bee
Read Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, a 1980s US Supreme Court Case. Also Tinker. Tinker came first, Hazelwood was later. Both these cases outline student rights. Schools can stop any activity they believe is disruptive to the learning process. They can institute dress codes. Your shirt was not within the dress code. You knew it was considered disruptive.
You wore it. You protested. But protestors pay the price. ****** Luther King Jr. was arrested several times.
There is a difference between protesting, being right, and being disciplined. You can be correct on one level and still be disciplined. Which is what happened to you.
Do you have rights? Yeah. But they are defined not just by the law/constitution but also by the school.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
He just "happened" to hide this supposedly clever drawing in his picture?

Oh, please.

(bang head here)
 

Happy Trails

Senior Member
The editor of the newspaper failed to spot the alleged penis and this comic was published in the school newspaper, penis and all. The alleged penis was not discovered until three days after the paper was published at which time all the newspapers were confiscated.
The alleged penis**************.

Funny....
 

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