HAZELWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT V KUHLMEIER 484 U.S 260 1988 HAZELWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT V KUHLMEIER U.S CONSTITUTION U.S GOV'T JUDICIAL EDUCATION CIVIL RIGHTS/EQUALITY U.S GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION SIGNIFICANCE THIS DECISION ESTABLISHED THAT EDUCATORS COULD LIMIT STUDENTS FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN SCHOOL SPONSORED ACTIVITIES IF THE LIMITATIONS ARE FOR THE GOOD OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS BACKGROUND IN 1983 ROBERT REYNOLDS THE PRINCIPAL OF HAZELWOOD EAST HIGH SCHOOL IN MISSOURI DELETED TWO PAGES OF THE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER THAT INCLUDED ARTICLES ABOUT THE IMPACT OF DIVORCE ON STUDENTS AND STUDENTS EXPERIENCES WITH PREGNANCY HE OBJECTED TO THE ARTICLES BECAUSE THEY CONTAINED REFERENCES TO SEXUAL ACTIVITY AND BIRTH CONTROL REYNOLDS ALSO THOUGHT THAT THE ARTICLES DID NOT PROTECT THE ANONYMITY OF THE INTERVIEWED STUDENTS THREE MEMBERS OF THE NEWSPAPER STAFF SUED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CLAIMING THAT THE PRINCIPAL'S ACTIONS HAD VIOLATED THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND OF THE PRESS THE DISTRICT COURT RULED THAT THESE RIGHTS HAD NOT BEEN VIOLATED THE STUDENTS APPEALED THE CASE AND THE STATE COURT OF APPEALS REVERSED THE DECISION RULING IN FAVOR OF THE STUDENTS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THEN APPEALED THE CASE TO THE U.S SUPREME COURT DECISION THIS CASE WAS ARGUED ON OCTOBER 13 1987 AND DECIDED ON JANUARY 13 1988 BY A VOTE OF 5 TO 3 JUSTICE BYRON WHITE SPOKE FOR THE COURT WHICH CONCLUDED THAT THE FIRST AMENDMENT ALLOWED SCHOOL OFFICIALS TO LIMIT THE SPEECH OF STUDENTS WHEN THAT SPEECH WAS SCHOOL SPONSORED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL GOALS JUSTICES WILLIAM BRENNAN JR THURGOOD MARSHALL AND HARRY BLACKMUN DISSENTED JUDGING THAT THE PRINCIPAL HAD CENSORED THE STUDENTS EXPRESSION THEREBY VIOLATING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS EXCERPT FROM THE OPINION OF THE COURT A SCHOOL MUST BE ABLE TO SET HIGH STANDARDS FOR THE STUDENT SPEECH THAT IS DISSEMINATED DISTRIBUTED UNDER ITS AUSPICES SPONSORSHIP AND MAY REFUSE TO DISSEMINATE STUDENT SPEECH THAT DOES NOT MEET THOSE STANDARDS IN ADDITION A SCHOOL MUST BE ABLE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE EMOTIONAL MATURITY OF THE INTENDED AUDIENCE IN DETERMINING WHETHER TO DISSEMINATE STUDENT SPEECH ON POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE TOPICS WHICH MIGHT RANGE FROM THE EXISTENCE OF SANTA CLAUS IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SETTING TO THE PARTICULARS OF TEENAGE SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN A HIGH SCHOOL SETTING A SCHOOL MUST ALSO RETAIN THE AUTHORITY TO REFUSE TO SPONSOR STUDENT SPEECH THAT MIGHT REASONABLY BE PERCEIVED TO ADVOCATE DRUG OR ALCOHOL USE IRRESPONSIBLE SEX OR CONDUCT OTHERWISE INCONSISTENT WITH THE SHARED VALUES OF A CIVILIZED SOCIAL ORDER OR TO ASSOCIATE THE SCHOOL WITH ANY POSITION OTHER THAN NEUTRALITY ON MATTERS OF POLITICAL CONTROVERSY
