The Tinker V. Des Moines Independent School District...

One of the most well-known Supreme Cases involving student rights was the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District decision of 1969. The verdict quickly became a precedent for many other decisions involving school issues and is very relevant today. In December of 1965, students attending Des Moines Public Schools held a meeting at Christopher Eckhardt s house to conduct a plan to show their support for a truce in the ongoing Vietnam War. They resolved to wear black armbands during the holiday season and also to fast on December 16 and on New Years. The principals at the school received word of the plan, and on December 14, they established a policy that banned armbands in school. Anyone who refused to remove the armband at a teacher’s request would be suspended. However, this did not deter Mary Beth Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt, who, on December 16, wore their armbands and were sent home. John Tinker did the same thing the next day and was immediately sent home. None of them returned to school until after New Years. Their fathers then sued the schools for violating their children s right to freedom of expression. However, the District Court dismissed the case, and the US Court of Appeals affirmed the decision, because of this, the families appealed to the Supreme Court. The children’s right to free speech was being violated. They argued that their protesting of the war was within the confines of the First Amendment. Since their wearing of the bands did notShow MoreRelatedTinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District Essay1583 Words   |  7 Pagesoutline if exercises of free speech and expression are constitutional or unconstitutional. One of the most paramount 1st amendment cases is that of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969). This significant case helped shape the extension of symbolic speech, as well as ensure the freedom of speech and expression to students in schools. In December 1965, a group of Iowa residents, both adults and children, gathered to discuss ways in which they could protest American involvementRead MoreTinker Vs. Des Moines1399 Words   |  6 PagesCase Name: Tinker vs. Des Moines (1969) Facts of the case: In December of 1965, a group of Des Moines students held a meeting at 16-year-old Christopher Eckhardt’s house to plan a public showing of their support for a truce in the Vietnam war. They came to the decision that they would wear black armbands during the holiday season and fast on December 16 as well as New Year’s Eve. When the principals of the Des Moines school learned about the plan, they met on December 14 to create a policy statingRead MoreTinker V. Des Moines Independent Community School3253 Words   |  14 PagesAbstract In 1969, a group of students filed a lawsuit against their school district claiming that their First Amendment rights were violated because the school district wrote a policy that prohibited them from wearing black armbands in a silent protest of the Vietnam War. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) ruled that students are entitled to their First Amendment rights as long as they are not causing a disruption to the school environment. This paper outlines theRead MoreThe Supreme Court Case Tinker V. Des Moines1015 Words   |  5 PagesThe Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines originated in Iowa in December 1965 when seven Des Moines high school students wore black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. Ultimately they were suspended in which the student’s fathers sued the school district. The court case battled through the District Court, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court. The ultimate ruling was that Des Moines School District violated the students First Amendment rights. Years later, in Oregon in 1990, teachers aRead MoreFreedom of Religion and Freedom of Expression: Tinker V. Des Moines1404 Words   |  6 PagesWhat if you were suspended from school because of something you were wearing? Not only was the clothing or item appropriate, it was something you were fighting for or something you believe is right. Is this fair or okay for this to happen? There is a specific incident that this situation happened to a few teenagers in Des Moines, Iowa in December of 1965. A group of students wanting to wear black armbands throughout the holiday season was in for a wake up call. (FORTAS) These plans and or idea wereRead MoreNew Jersey V. Case Analysis731 Words   |  3 Pages New Jersey v. T. L. O. Maggie Anderson EDL 606 Judicial and Ethical Considerations April 25, 2015 William Carey University â€Æ' New Jersey v. T. L. O. Introduction Of Case: New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) is a court case heard and ruled on by the Supreme Court of the United States. The case dealt with the constitutionality of the search of a public school student after she had gotten caught smoking in a public school bathroom. The search provided evidence of drug paraphernalia, marijuanaRead MoreThe United States Constitution Is The Backbone Of Our Country1861 Words   |  8 Pagesframework from which all other laws have stemmed. The Constitution, however, is not a concrete document. Laws are flexible. Law can become specifically tricky in a school setting and. There have been hundreds of court cases throughout our country’s history involving schools that have set precedents on Constitutional rights in public schools. The First Amendment of the Constitution states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;Read MoreTinker V Des Moines Case769 Words   |  4 PagesTinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District 393 U.S. 503 It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. This was the main argument from Justice Abe Fortas that came into play at the Tinker v. Des Moines School District Case of 1969. The case involved a small group of students who silently dissented against the government’s policy during the ongoing Vietnam War by wearing blackRead MoreU7A1 Supreme Court Cases1406 Words   |  6 PagesSupreme Court Cases Supreme Court Case #1: Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District (1969) Background: 1965 three students from Des Moines, Iowa (15 year old John Tinker; his sister, 13 year Mary Beth Tinker; and a friend, 16 year old Christopher Eckhardt), opposing the Vietnam War came up with a plan to wear black arm bands to their respective schools. The arm bands were to serve the purposes of symbolizing a protest against the Vietnam War. School officials got wind of the children’s protestRead MoreReligion And The First Amendment834 Words   |  4 PagesReligion and the First Amendment in Schools Recently, students were instructed to write an essay along with a pictorial representation of the person they considered to be their hero. Since one student chose Jesus as his hero and submitted a drawing of the Last Supper, possible legal complications need to be considered before grading and displaying the assignment. An examination of First Amendment legal issues that arise when a student submits an assignment of religious nature will provide insight