Last Thursday U.S District Judge Joseph A. Greenaway Jr. sided with two kids from New Jersey saying the kids can wear buttons featuring a picture of the Hitler youth to protest a school uniform policy.
The students had been threatened with suspension last fall for wearing the buttons and the students parents then proceeded to file a federal lawsuit claiming the district violated the children's free speech rights. The Judge also added that the students could not distribute the buttons.
When deciding this case the Judge cited a 1969 case in Iowa involving students who wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam war, saying students have the right to express themselves as long as it is not disruptive to the work and discipline of the school.
This case seems to be a classic example of organizations that possess a little bit of power going crazy. I am thrilled the kids won. I don't agree with the hitler youth, but threatening to suspend students because they were wearing buttons is a clear violation of the 1st amendment.
This case also shows how the students parents were useing the coercive power of government to get what they wanted. Normall I am aginst people trying to use government to get their way but in this case the parents were just protecting their kids right to free speech.
It is good to see that the judges in Washington don't screw up all the time.
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