THE CONNECTICUT BAR FOUNDATIONJAMES W. COOPER FELLOWS2007-2008 ESSAY CONTEST TOPIC
“MARY’S POT LUCK - STUDENTS’ FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS”
Mary Dogood is a senior at Public High School (PHS). In order to graduate, PHS requires that each student, during one semester of his/her senior year, spend one day per week doing volunteer community service at a facility approved by PHS. Mary chose to complete her community service requirement at LifeEnd, a PHS-approved facility which provides end-of-life care for the terminally ill.
While Mary was fulfilling her community service requirement at LifeEnd, the governor vetoed a bill that would have allowed doctors to prescribe marijuana to their terminally ill patients. LifeEnd, a strong supporter of the bill, sends Mary and a number of other LifeEnd staff members during the working day to a demonstration at the governor's mansion to express their displeasure with the governor's veto. During the demonstration, Mary, while wearing a PHS sweatshirt, holds up a banner reading "Donate Your Pot to the Terminally Ill." Mary and her sign appear on an evening news broadcast covering the event.
The next morning, Mary meets with the principal who saw the broadcast. The principal gives Mary a copy of the letter he sent to the school board explaining the reasons why, in his opinion, Mary's actions violated PHS' policy against advocating illegal drug use during a school-sponsored event and asking the board to vote at its next meeting to suspend Mary from PHS for 10 days. Mary tells the principal that she has studied Supreme Court decisions on her constitutional right to free speech in her civics class, including the Court's recent decision in Morse v. Frederick, and she disagrees with his view. The principal tells Mary that he, too, is familiar with those decisions and he believes that his recommendation is proper. He tells Mary, however, that she should also write a letter to the school board, explaining why she disagrees with his view and why the board should vote against his recommendation that she be suspended, and Mary does so.
After reviewing both the principal's letter and Mary's letter in response, the school board votes upon the principal's recommendation at its next meeting. The school board then sends a letter to both Mary and the principal, advising them of how the board voted and why the board agreed and disagreed with each position.
The 2007-2008 essays are to be in the form of a letter. Prepare one of the following: (1) the principal's letter to the school board; (2) Mary's letter to the school board; or (3) the school board's letter to Mary and the principal.
See: “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” case, Morse v. Frederick, 551 U.S. ___ (2007) Tinker v. Des Moines School Dist., 393 U.S. 503 (1969) Doninger v. Niehoff et.al., No. 3:07CV1129 U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut (2007) |
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Attachment A |