In the years after Tinker v. Des Moines, students used the ruling as an example for exercising their First Amendment rights. In Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988), a student run newspaper published two articles. One article was about teenage pregnancy and the other was about the lives of children whose parents were divorced. Both articles contained interviews from previously pregnant teenagers and children of divorced parents. The school district withheld these articles from publication. The student journalists then sued the Hazelwood school district for violating their First Amendment right to freedom of press. Most of their argument was based on the Tinker v. Des Moines argument. In Morse v. Frederick (2007), Joseph Frederick held up a sign that read “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” at a school sponsored event. The principal, Deborah Morse, suspended him for ten days. Frederick then sued the school district for violating his right to free expression. In the years after Tinker v. Des Moines, over 125 cases nationwide concerning student freedom of expression have been brought before Court.
“I think it’s important for school districts to understand that while obviously they have a job to do — trying to run a school district and keep order and make sure things go smoothly — they’ve got another job, too, which is respecting the rights of their students,” –Mary Roper |
"Allowing students more freedom of expression helps them develop into better citizens and more informed adults. " –Tyler Buller Even after the 1969 court decision, the Tinkers still feel responsible for teaching the next generation to use their first amendment rights. Today they travel across the country advocating for students’ rights, most recently in their Tinker Tour. Even today Tinker protects the rights of students. In 2010, Pennsylvania students wore "I ♥ boobies" bracelets supporting breast cancer awareness. After they were suspended the students sued the school for violating their First Amendment right to free expression. Students directly cited Tinker in their argument against the school. Tinker v. Des Moines has taught the nation that students have the right to express themselves without being silenced.
"I was scared the day I wore that armband to school, but I knew I had to speak up. The world seemed upside-down, but my friends and I had courageous role models to show us how to stand up for what we believed.You can join them to change the world, and when you do your life will be meaningful and very interesting. It certainly has been for me!" –Mary Beth Tinker |