Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Cheerleader in Student Free Speech Case

The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 on Wednesday that a Pennsylvania school district violated the First Amendment by suspending a cheerleader, Brandi Levy, from the junior varsity team for a year over a profanity-laden Snapchat rant. Public schools can still regulate some off-campus speech, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote, adding, “Circumstances that may implicate a school’s regulatory interests include serious or severe bullying or harassment targeting particular individuals; threats aimed at teachers or other students; the failure to follow rules concerning lessons, the writing of papers, the use of computers, or participation in other online school activities; and breaches of school security devices.” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a dissenting opinion, arguing that the court's decision ignored precedent and that Levy's rant could have harmed the school's athletic program. 

Coverage was mostly balanced on all sides. Some coverage pointed to different arguments from Justice Thomas' dissent. Some right-rated outlets like Washington Examiner instead featured Wednesday's other Supreme Court rulings, including limiting police ability to conduct warrantless searches and striking down a California rule allowing labor organizers to visit farm laborers in fields.