Case B A middle school student drew a Confederate flag in his notebook. After
school officials learned about the drawing, the student received a short suspension
The school district had a policy clearly stating: "Students shall not at school. have
in their possession any written material that is racially divisive or creates ill-will
or hatred. The policy prohibited "a depiction of the Confederate flag."
Decision West V. Derby Unified School District No. 260, 2000. In a school where
hate crimes were increasing, the Tenth Circuit Court ruled that school officials had
reason to believe the student's flag drawing could cause a major disruption at
the school or interfere with the rights of others. The judges noted that outside of
school, this form of political speech would be protected by the 1st Amendment.
1. How did the court rule on the case?
No