School bans breast cancer awareness bracelets, litigates in court and loses nearly $500,000
There is something about school administrators. An abnormally large number of them have no concept of and indeed show a great hostility to the First Amendment protection of freedom of speech.
Between FIRE, the ACLU, the ADF and other civil rights organizations, the complaints and legal victories over public schools and universities who flagrantly and illegally work to crush freedom of speech are so frequent that civil rights are swamped with cases. School administrators, out of spite, drag out and appeal many cases they know are hopeless as you, the taxpayers, pay the bill.
The laws need to be changed so that the worst examples of school administrators gone wild are held personally liable for their illegal actions.
Via EAG News:
EASTON, Pa. – Easton County taxpayers are now on the hook for a $385,000 settlement after a four-year legal battle over the school district’s attempt to ban “I Heart Boobies” cancer awareness bracelets.
Brianna Hawk and Kayla Martinez sued the Easton Area School District with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union after school officials in October 2010 disciplined the former middle school students for wearing the popular wristbands, the Allentown Morning Call reports.
The girls argued the district’s policy violated their First Amendment rights, and the U.S. District Court and 3rd Court of Appeals agreed, ruling that the bracelets are protected speech because they are a social or political statement. Despite the legal losses, district officials attempted to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but were forced to acknowledge defeat after the high court refused to hear the case in March, according to the news site.
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The grand total comes to $385,000 paid in three installments over the next nine months, which is on top of the $110,000 the district has already spent defending the case, though the school district’s insurance company covered most of that expense, according to the news site.