The First Amendment
The First Amendment circa 1789...
The First Amendment circa 2021...
The First Amendment states, ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.’
For further information, the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution delves into the interpretations of each clause.
Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. (2021), involved an incident regarding high school officials disciplining a student who posted an off-campus, vulgar Snapchat message after she did not making the varsity cheerleading squad. The student sued in federal court, contending that the discipline violated the First Amendment right to free speech. The US Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that school officials lacked the authority for discipline and the substantial disruption standard, under Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, does not apply to off-campus, online student speech. Explore this case and its impact on the contemporary interpretation of the First Amendment further through The First Amendment Encyclopedia article.
The Annenberg Classroom First Amendment Timeline illustrates the impact of the First Amendment from its ratification in 1791 to today.