Constitutional violations in public schools across our country are far too common. Schools in America should not be constitutional dead zones - students still have their constitutional rights to free speech and privacy!
Teachers and administrators have a responsibility to provide a safe environment that is conducive to learning. They also have a responsibility to respect each student's individual rights.
Learn more about student rights.
The ACLU of Nebraska has always and will always fight for student rights. One example of when we stepped in and helped students was in Scottsbluff High School in 2011.
Two Scottsbluff High students had an aunt with breast cancer and decided they wanted to show support for her by wearing t-shirts and bracelets with the phrase “I <3 Boobies” printed on them.
The message is part of a national campaign to raise breast cancer awareness and reduce the stigma around talking about the disease. Unfortunately, schools across the nation often try to censor this message – deeming it too “distracting and obscene.”
The two students were told by the administration to turn the articles of clothing inside out or face suspension for violating the school’s dress code. They even confiscated the bracelet.
When we found out about these students not being able to wear items with “I<3 Boobies,” we immediately contacted the Scottsbluff High superintendent and school officials to change their minds. This was a victory for everybody and a great lesson in standing up for free speech!
2016 is the 50th anniversary of the ACLU of Nebraska. We will feature several memories from our five decades of defending freedom in the Cornhusker state here. Do you have a favorite memory? Share it with us!
