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Morse v. Frederick

United States Supreme Court
551 U.S. 393, 127 S. Ct. 2618, 168 L. Ed. 2d 290 (2007)

Written by Megan Petersen, JD

Facts

In 2002, principal Deborah Morse (defendant) suspended high-school senior Joseph Frederick (plaintiff) for 10 days after he displayed a large banner reading “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.” Morse suspended Frederick because she believed the banner promoted illegal drug use. Frederick filed suit in federal district court on the ground that the suspension violated his First Amendment rights. The district court dismissed the suit, but the court of appeals reversed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

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Holding and Reasoning (Roberts, C.J.)

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Concurrence (Alito, J.)

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Concurrence (Thomas, J.)

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Dissent (Stevens, J.)

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