276 - Vulgar Free Speech

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
“The Friends of Voltaire” by S. G. Tallentyre (Evelyn Beatrice Hall)Show more

This quote has been the cry of free speech advocates for decades. But how is society to treat those, especially minors, who violate the standards of speech considered acceptable in public? In the case Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., the question is, what are the legitimate actions of public schools in disciplining the vulgar speech of students. In its opinion, the Supreme Court illegitimately applied the First Amendment to state actors, but that is nothing new. By far the most interesting part of the opinion is the role the justices believe schools have in parenting children. And you may be surprised by what the lone dissenter in this case said regarding the subject.