David Warren Saxe et al. v. State College Area School District (SCASD) et al.
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
240 F.3d 200 (2011)
- Written by Haley Gintis, JD
Facts
The State College Area School District (the district) (defendant) established an antiharassment policy (the policy) prohibiting speech that substantially interfered with or was intended to substantially interfere with a student’s education. The policy also prohibited speech that created or was intended to create a hostile environment. The policy further provided that speech concerning a student’s personal characteristics created a hostile environment. The policy defined speech concerning personal characteristics as speech touching on a student’s sex, race, color, national origin, age, disability, clothing, appearance, hobbies, values, and social skills. David Warren Saxe and other parents, guardians, and students (collectively, Saxe) (plaintiffs) filed an action in federal district court against the district. Saxe argued that the policy violated students’ free-speech rights rooted in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The district court returned a verdict for the district on the ground that the policy only prohibited speech already deemed unlawful under multiple antidiscrimination laws. The matter was appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Alito, J.)
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