Appeals court hears 'redneck' T-shirt case

Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ) ^ | 3/5/02 | KATIE WANG

[gumbo]

PHILADELPHIA -- An attorney for a former Warren Hills Regional High School student argued in federal appeals court yesterday that his client's "redneck" T-shirt did not create a significant fear of disruption in school and that he should not have been suspended last year for wearing it.

[stainlessbanner]

Maybe Sypniewski should have worn "Top 10 Reasons your School Administrator is a Dictator"

[Ghost Of Our Fathers]

"But when Judge Anthony J. Scirica asked Broscious to specifically pinpoint what was offensive about the shirt besides the term "redneck," Broscious replied there was nothing else."

Actually, the term "REDNECK" stemmed from people calling farmers in the South a REDNECK after having been repeatedly exposed to the hot summer sun (on their necks).

Thus, the term "redneck."

These were hard working, decent, honest people.

A true minority in modern America?

[aomagrat]

Somebody at that school need a country ass whippin'.

[bvw]

You are right, I'm stretching the meaning of "innuendo", too far. I was referring to the "You know the Hooter's menu by heart" slogan.

[charphar]

Well, not apart from the smell, anyway...sorry!

No, Ulysses, you've got this kid mixed up with the owner/wearer of "Ol' Crusty!"

[gumbo]

There was a day when t-shirt's with any slogans of any type at all would have been considered a hazard to the good order of a school, much less the slogans that suggest sexual innuendos as this does.

If wearing "Gay Pride" t-shirts to public schools is constitutionally protected speech (and the courts have said that it is), how can we ban messages such as "Your carpet used to be part of a football field"?

But I agree with you to the extent that we were better off in the days when students wore button-down shirts and ties to school -- even to public schools. There may be no going back, though.

[lepton]

But Vice Principal Griffith told me that it was offensive. He said "redneck" means a violent, bigoted person.

Wouldn't that define Vice Principal Griffith as a bigot?

[lepton]

Don't like it, take your kid out of the school.

O.K. Can I quit the payments to the school he no longer attends?

[Issaquahking]

The shirt was not offensive - the school offical was wrong. I wear my Klamath Falls anti-greenie T-shirts all the time - if you think you can make me change it - stand by for the ass whippin you are about to receive! Take note, I'm 44 and ain't backin down from any government offical who is wrong! See the first amendment in the last sentence about redress.

[BraveMan]

Whatta 'bout dem dere Yoopers, eh? We should one of dem "pertected minorities", don' cha know . . .

Wah jees, I almost choked on my pasty . . .

[Mr. Bird]

No, unfortunately.

[maxwell]

Check this out, dudes... This looks like something I would wear...

This case is bizarre. Like SpeaksTruthToPower said above, "Another sign that the public schools have far too much money, and too much time on their hands to mis-spend it."

[Mr. Bird]

Bethel v. Fraser (1986): The Supreme Court held that schools may regulate student speech and may punish students for speech considered to be offensive or disruptive. In the words of the opinion: "The schools, as instruments of the state, may determine that the essential lessons of civil, mature conduct cannot be conveyed in a school that tolerates lewd, indecent, or offensive speech." This decision was distinguished from Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), which held that students have rights of expression within a public school.

Well, it certainly turned out to be disruptive. I agree that the shirt is not "offensive", at least not to me. However, I believe the school should have the authority to restrict what the kid can wear. That is why I asked whether they had told him prior to his wearing it that it was not allowed. If they did, he was insubordinate and deserves punishment.

[wafflehouse]

lol... i might be..

[gumbo]

Well, it certainly turned out to be disruptive.

It was "disruptive" only to school administrators. There had been no complaints from students; nor could any "incident" be connected with the wearing of the t-shirt.

[Constitution Day]

Yew callin me a redneck, boy? 8^)

[Mr. Bird]

It was "disruptive" only to school administrators

Believe me, I'm a survivor of the public school system and would be hard-pressed to defend it under most circumstances. No one seems to be able to answer the simple question: Did the administrators ask/tell him not to wear the shirt before he wore it?

I happened to take liberty with the word "Bandersnatch" in high school, much to the delight of my classmates. I was told by the teacher to cease and desist, because he knew quite well where I was going with it. Well, I said it again, and got to pick up trash for 3 days after school. Now "Bandersnatch" is a word used in a classic work of literature. Would I have been correct in suing the school under the First Amendment? I don't think so. I disobeyed the authority of the people in charge. So once again, did this kid?

[maxwell]

[maxwell]

[maxwell]

Redneck Motor Home