Freedom of Speech at School
Beidler v. North Thurston School District Number 3
Karl Beidler, a junior at Timberline High School, created a website that parodied the assistant principal of the school and depicted him participating in a Nazi book burning, drinking beer, and painting graffiti on a wall. The school later placed him on "emergency expulsion" on the grounds that teachers felt uncomfortable having Beidler in class because of the website, and the content of the website was deemed "personally appalling" and "real inappropriate" by the principal. He was transferred to a alternative school, but then came back for his senior year. However, when he returned he did not suffer any discipline problems. When this case was taken to court, the judge ruled that the student's speech did not cause a substantial disruption under the Tinker standard. It also denied the school district's claim that they could regulate off-campus speech.
Beidler won the case.
Beidler won the case.