Case: Bethel vs. Fraser
Rewrite by: Jason Kiefer and Dylan Stanulewich
The Issue
Matthew Fraser made some comments that rustled other people's jimmies that were in the crowd. The comments "interfered substantially with the educational process," said the Bethel School District. Matthew did not see anything wrong in speaking what was on his mind, but lots of people were offended by his speech that included "X-rated" language .
What the Justices' thought
The court agreed with the school district and concluded that your rights end where someone else's feelings begin. They also agreed that certain rights were not always applicable in school, for that could inhibit the learning for others. They also agreed that lewd language could be very distracting, on top of it being rude and inappropriate.
The Impact
Following the highly controversial ruling, people couldn't always freely speak about what was on their mind, because a comment might hurt someone else's feelings. The main goal of the Supreme Court was to uphold the law and protect our rights. But the biggest impact was on the 4th amendment, because a person can no longer say "no" to a search of any type on school grounds.