Vaginas and Bong Hits (For Jesus)

Just happened to stumble upon two school-related free-speech issues & thought I should link them up here:

On Monday, March 19th, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in the case informally known as "Bong Hits 4 Jesus."

High school student Joseph Frederick was subjected to school suspension for his display of a homemade banner while standing across the street from school property, albeit during normal school hours.

While initial court rulings held in favor of the Juneau, Alaska school district, the Ninth Circuit Court reversed in favor of Frederick.

The Ninth Circuit determined that the school district did not have the right to unduly restrict the public demonstration by Frederick when he elected to unfurl and display his 14-foot banner with the words, "Bong Hits 4 Jesus."

The school district appealed to the Supreme Court.

BONG HITS 4 JESUS IS ABOUT FREE SPEECH, NOT DRUGS via Brenda Stardom, see also News From the Sandbox.

he initial suspensions resulted after the students knowingly went against administrators' wishes and said the word "vagina" on Friday night at an open mic session sponsored by the high school literary magazine Reflections.

School administrators had asked the students to either not read the monologue or to omit the stanza in which the word "vagina" appeared, saying the word would be inappropriate for younger members of the audience who were expected to be in attendance.

But the students went ahead and together finished the line: "I declare these streets, any streets, my vagina's country."

Suspension postponed for students who said 'vagina' via Fetch Me My Axe see also Susie Bright. (Funny, I totally also responded to that article with a desire to run into the nearest school and yell "Vagina!!!!")