Virgil v. School Board of Columbia County, Florida
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
862 F.2d 1517 (1989)
- Written by Daniel Clark, JD
Facts
Columbia High School offered a survey of Western art and literature as an elective course. The course used a textbook that contained Lysistrata by Aristophanes and The Miller’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer; however, neither work was included in the course’s required reading. The course and textbook had been approved parts of Columbia High School’s curriculum for over a decade. The parents of a student in the course objected to the inclusion of Lysistrata and The Miller’s Tale in the textbook and filed a complaint with the school board (defendant). The school board, citing the works’ sexual content and vulgar language, voted to discontinue use of the textbook. Both Lysistrata and The Miller’s Tale remained available to interested students at the school’s library. A coalition of parents (plaintiffs) of Columbia High School students sued the school board, claiming that the board’s action violated the parents’ First Amendment rights. The district court held that the school board’s actions were lawful, and the parents appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Anderson, J.)
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