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Case Scenario: Tinker v. DesMoines Independent Community School District, 393 US 503
(1969)
What are the Facts of the Case?
The case involves student activists John Tinker and Mary Beth Tinker, as well as Christopher
Eckhardt, who were suspended from school after they refused to remove their black armbands,
which represented their opposition to the Vietnam War. The students spent a couple of weeks
away from school before they filed a lawsuit against the school. They were then suspended from
school until the New Year. Their parents argued that their freedom of expression was violated.
What are the Major Issues of the Case?
The case raised various concerns about the First Amendment and the freedom of expression. The
students claimed that they were denied their right to free speech. The District Courts ruled that
their actions were legal, but the other case reviews had appealed these rulings. The Court of
Appeal held that the US Constitution does not allow public officials to prevent students from
expressing their political views. The Court of Appeal stated that the First Amendment does not
allow public officials to prevent students from expressing their political views.
What was the Rationale Given about the Case?
The students' actions were not disruptive to the school's operations, and they did not violate the
privacy rights of other people. The case was regarded as a significant ruling that allowed students
to express their views.
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The ruling will make students more involved in the society, and this will allow them to
participate in various political campaigns. The school administration should also be able to stop
interfering with their civil rights.
What were the Holdings from the Judges?
The students' actions were allowed under their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and
expression. Their actions questioned the importance of foreign investment in their country. It is
also important to note that the students had the right to self-governing decisions. This case was a
defining moment for the protection of these rights.
Present Your Reaction To The Case.
The students' actions were allowed under their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and
expression. Their actions questioned the importance of foreign investment in their country. It is
also important to note that the students had the right to self-governing decisions. This case was a
defining moment for the protection of these rights.
Case Scenario: Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 US 563 (1968)
What are the Facts of the Case?
In Illinois, a teacher was fired after he criticized the local school board's spending on athletics.
Marvin Pickering, a science teacher at Lockport High School, was removed from his position
after he wrote a letter to the local newspaper criticizing the school board's budget. He wrote: “To
sod football fields on borrowed money and then not be able to pay teachers’ salaries is getting the
cart before the horse.”
What are the Major Issues of the Case?
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The case concerns the employment actions taken against public employees who raised concerns
about the government's operations. This ruling allows officials to carry out political actions
within the school district to improve the proficiency of the government. However, the teacher's
actions were also subject to the consequences of his actions even though the author was not able
to provide sufficient evidence to support his claims.
What was the Rationale Given about the Case?
The objective of the case was to establish the distinction between the rights of teachers and those
of the public. As a result, the case highlighted the legal dichotomy between the privileges of
teachers and those of the public. In his arguments, the teacher argued that he had a duty to
question the methods that would have been used to fund the construction of public education
facilities. While the government has not ruled out the need for additional funding, both external
and internal stakeholders would have to consider the benefits of such projects.
What were the Holdings from the Judges?
Supreme Court ruled in favor of the teacher. Pickering contested his termination in state court,
alleging a violation of his First Amendment right of free speech. School board officials countered
that the letter was detrimental to the interests of the school. A trial court ruled in favor of the
school board. The Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the trial court by a 3-2 vote. Pickering then
appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which reversed 8-1. Justice Thurgood Marshall rejected the
notion that public employees must relinquish their constitutional rights on accepting government
employment. He wrote: “The problem in any case is to arrive at a balance between the interests
of the teacher, as a citizen, in commenting upon matters of public concern and the interest of the
State, as an employer, in promoting the efficiency of the public services it performs through its
employers.”
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Present Your Reaction To The Case:
The case helped public employees get the political and legal capital they needed to voice their
concerns about the system. As long as the message is relevant to the public, then there is no
problem with individuals reporting wrongdoing in the education sector.
These types of concerns are beneficial to the community. At no time did the teacher have any
personal issues with the complaints, and he was only concerned about the issues affecting the
people around him. However, I believe that raising taxes is wrong in the long run.
The people have a voice, and it is very important that they are heard. Although it is sometimes
considered as a burden to voice one's concerns, it is also very important to remember that those
who are on the lower end of the income scale struggle just as much as those who are on the top
end. There are various ways that the public can help raise funds for these types of concerns.
Case Scenario: Brown v. Board of Education, 347 US 483 (1954)
What are the Facts of the Case?
The parents of these children tried to enroll their kids in the schools that were closest to their
homes, but the schools denied them access to these schools based on their race.
The schools followed Kansas laws that either allowed segregation or mandated it. The parents
argued that the facilities of African American schools were not equal to those of white schools.
They also claimed that under the Equal Protection Clause, they should be able to receive equal
access.
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In response, the parents filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Kansas, which sought to enjoin the
state from continuing its active segregation of elementary schools. Despite acknowledging that
the law had an adverse effect on African American students, the court ruled that the facilities of
the schools were essentially equal.
What are the Major Issues of the Case?
The Fourteenth Amendment prohibits school segregation based on race. This means that African
American students are denied equal protection under the law. When the case was brought before
the district court they ruled in favor of racial segregation.
What was the Rationale Given about the Case?
The children were not afforded the opportunity to attend a school that was close to home due to
race. The alternative was an unreasonable distance away and not equal to the other school.
What were the Holdings from the Judges?
The case was decided in favor of the plaintiffs, and it ruled that the Kansas law did not provide
equal educational opportunities to African American and white students. The Supreme Court
ruled that the same principle that was upheld in the Plessy v. Ferguson case does not apply to
public education.
The court ruled that the incident involving the Equal Protection Clause violated the due process
clause. There was evidence that the state of Kansas tried to make the African American and white
schools more equal, but it was not able to do so. Instead, the court focused on the effect of the
law on the students.
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The court noted that when it comes to providing educational programs, the federal and state
governments have an important duty to ensure that all students are receiving the same
opportunities. This is because the benefits of education are very important to a child's social
development and their future success.
The court noted that school segregation laws can indelibly affect the feelings of certain groups of
students. For instance, they can make them feel that they are inferior. This is because, according
to the court, these laws often imply that the Negro group is somehow inferior.
The court ruled that school segregation laws are indelibly harmful to the educational
opportunities of African American students. They noted that the mere presence of such
segregation in a school system can make them feel that they are not being given the same
opportunities as their white counterparts.
Present Your Reaction To The Case?
The Supreme Court's decision to protect the rights of minority students to improve their
socioeconomic status is a positive step for the African American community. It was also a step
towards ensuring that all students are treated equally.
The decision to protect the rights of minority students served as a step toward addressing the
historical wrongs that have been done to marginalized groups in the US. Although it is a victory
for the African American community, it is still not enough.
The decisions in these cases helped affirm the notion of racial equality in the US. They also
helped pave the way for the establishment of more inclusive schools. If the actions of the
plaintiffs hadn't been supported by the legal process, America would be more stagnant in become
a more progressive society.
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References:
Fortas, A. & Supreme Court Of The United States. (1968) U.S. Reports: Tinker v. Des Moines School Dist.,
393 U.S. 503. [Periodical] Retrieved from the Library of Congress,
https://www.loc.gov/item/usrep393503/.
Marshall, T. & Supreme Court Of The United States. (1967) U.S. Reports: Pickering v. Board of Education,
391 U.S. 563. [Periodical] Retrieved from the Library of Congress,
https://www.loc.gov/item/usrep391563/.
Warren, E. & Supreme Court Of The United States. (1953) U.S. Reports: Brown v. Board of Education, 347
U.S. 483. [Periodical] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/usrep347483/.
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