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Bethel School District v. Matt Fraser

Presented by Lauren Connerley and Brynne Baird

Bethel High School

What Happened?

Bethel High School

Matthew Fraser, a senior at Bethel High School, gave a speech during an assembly to nominate his classmate into office of the student government. The speech was full of sexual references, but no obscenities.

School's Action

Fraser was suspended from school for three days and he was removed from the list of people eligible to make graduation remarks. He was the second student at the time to be put onto that list.

School's Action

Parent's Action

Fraser's parents appealed to the school's disciplinary action. They were unable to get his punishment overturned with the school board's grievance procedure. His father filed a lawsuit that the school had infringed his First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Parent's Action

Lower Level Courts

After Fraser's father filed a lawsuit, it went to two different courts. Both of these courts agreed with the Fraser Family.

Lower Level Courts

Federal District Court

The Federal District Court agreed with the Fraser family. The court granted Fraser monetary damages and ordered the school board to not prevent him from speaking at graduation.

Federal District Court

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

The school appealed this case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court affirmed the lower court's ruling. This court said that this case was no different than the Tinker V. Des Moines Independent Community School District case from 1969. They didn't think that the school had the authority to take control of the speech during the event.

U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court

On March 3rd, 1986 this case was argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The court upheld the school board's decision. It had a 7-2 margin. Chief Justice Burger wrote for the majority. He pointed out there was a huge difference between this case and the Tinker case because that dealt with public policy of the time. Burger said that students in a public school aren't allowed to talk in sexual ways like that, but adults can. There are certain limits of censory in schools.

Present

Today the rules are the same. Students can get in trouble when they talk inappropriately in class or during school events. A student can not use vulgar language at anything that involves school.

Present

Related Cases

There were some other cases that were brought up during the trial because they closely related to what was happening in this case.

Related Cases

Tinker V. Des Moines Independent Community School District

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District

This case is from 1969 and it said that school officials couldn't discipline students for wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War solely based on the fear that it would cause a disruption. This was a political problem of the time.

Hazelwood School District et al V. Kuhlmeier

Hazelwood School District Et Al v. Kuhlmeier

School officials had the right to censor the school newspaper if they wanted to because it is the school's. It was a public one therefore the could limit the freedom of speech.

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