[Robert]

The primary question here is whether the school, by telling the boy to remove the shirt, violated his first amendment right to free speech. Had he been asked to remove the shirt while at a resturant or walking on the street there would be no question as to whether or not his rights were violated. However, the fact that the alleged rights violation occurred at a public school makes the matter somewhat more complicated. The fact is, he didn’t want to celebrate his heterosexuality. After watching an intereview with the boy and his attorney, and visiting this website, it is clear to all but the most pusillanimous of people that the ‘straight pride’ shirt was meant to be inflammatory and offensive to gays and lesbians. The school board in which this student attends school has a policy that states that school administrators may ask a student ot remove an item or article of clothing that they feel is meant to harass or offend other students. This type of policy has been supported and validated by the U.S. Supreme Court, and therefore, the question of whether this boy has a legitimate claim becomes: Was this shirt meant to harass or make any students feel uncomfortable? Given this boy’s background and the site from which he purchased the shirt, I believe that this case is simply one of a child attempting to act as a provocateur and promote an atmosphere of intolerance.

User Detail :  

Name : Robert, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 14, City : Panama City, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,