Bethel School District V. Fraser (1986)

Information about Bethel School District V. Fraser Case

1. Speech in Schools Bethel School District v. Fraser (1986) Presented By: Denise Parker

2. Bethel School District V. Fraser 1986 Censorship of Expression in Public High Schools Mathew Fraser presented a speech in school for his friend in an upcoming class election The speech consisted of numerous sexual innuendos, mostly in reference to his friends sexual prowess Bethel School District suspended Fraser from school for three days, prohibited him from speaking at his graduation, and had his name stricken from the list of potential speakers Fraser’s parents felt this was an abridgement of his First Amendment rights and took Bethel School District to Court The Federal Court ruled in favor of Fraser The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bethel School District

3. First Amendment Violation: Freedom of Speech The Fraser family and student body felt that Bethel School District was imposing on Mathew Fraser’s First Amendment rights; therefore, the punishment was unconstitutional

4. Relation to Communication Having freedom of speech is a vital part of communications The United States first amendment was in part based upon the right to persuade others and express opinions for elections Matthew Fraser’s speech was in relation to a school election Brings morality and ethics into question when presenting a speech Where certain speech is prohibited becomes a factor in communication

5. Significance Proved the schools code of conduct upheld over the first amendment Disturbances within schools Taught students the boundaries and appropriate behavior in various settings Created limitations when children are involved

6. Conclusion Supreme Court ruling in favor of Bethel School District Fraser’s unnecessary use for obscene language School disturbances Right to make an example for the teachings of appropriate behavior Schools have the right to decipher appropriate speech use within school grounds

7. Works Cited AdventureAndy. “Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser.” YouTube. YouTube, 25 March 2013. 15 Sept. 2015. "Key Supreme Court Cases: Bethel School District v. Fraser (ABA Division for Public Education)."  Key Supreme Court Cases: Bethel School District v. Fraser (ABA Division for Public Education) . Devision for Public Education: American Bar Association, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015. Fraser, Matthew. "Matthew Fraser Speech."  Matthew Fraser Speech . Matthew Fraser, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

8. Picture Citation Bethel School District Logo. Digital image.  Bethel School District (Washington) . N.p ., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015 . Grundvig , Peter. Bethel High School. Digital image.  Archinect People . N.p ., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015 . Man Giving a Speech Silhouette. Digital image.  FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin . N.p ., Dec. 2008. Web. 15 Sept. 2015 . Picture of Matthew Fraser. Digital image.  The Hawk's Eye . N.p ., 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2015 . School: Children Crossing Sign. Digital image.  BestMadurai.com . N.p ., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015 . Shestokas , David J.  First Amendment to US Constitution: Right to Peaceable Assembly . Digital image.  Shetokas . N.p ., 23 Mar. 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.