Morse Vs Frederick

1. Morse VS. Frederick
Morse VS. Frederick

2. Summary
January 24
th
2002, Students and Staff at Juneau-Douglas High
School were permitted to leave classes to watch the Olympic
Torch pass by, Joseph Frederick who was late for school
that day, he had joined some friends on the sidewalk across
from his high school, off school grounds. Frederick and his
friends had waited for the Television camera’s so that they
could show a banner that read “BONG HITS 4 JESUS” .
Frederick said he had first seen the phrase on a snowboard
sticker. When they had shown the banner off Principal
Deborah Morse ran across the street and seized it. Morse
suspended Frederick for 5 days for violating school district’s
anti-drug policy.

3. Constitutional Issue
The Court is being asked to decide whether or not his
freedom of speech is being violated or not.
They are fighting that the school is violating the first
Amendment right to freedom of speech assembly
and press against the issue of the drug-policy.

4. DeciSion of the court
Written by: Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.
Reasoning: The majority said that Frederick's message,
though "cryptic," was reasonably interpreted as
promoting marijuana use - equivalent to "Take bong
hits" or "bong hits are a good thing."
Opinion: Students do have some right to political
speech even while in school, this right does not extend
to pro-drug messages that may undermine the school's
important mission to discourage drug use.

5. Effects
Cannot promote illegal drug use in school
You can’t sue a/any school for telling you not to
promote illegal drugs.