Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L.
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L. and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L..
In Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L., the Supreme Court addressed whether a public school could punish a student for off-campus speech. B. L., a high school student, was suspended from the cheerleading squad for Snapchat posts made off-campus. The Court found that the school's interests were insufficient to overcome B. L.'s First Amendment rights.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L..
The Court held that the school's punishment of B. L. violated her First Amendment rights because the off-campus speech did not cause substantial disruption.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L.. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
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Why Free Speech is relevant to Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L.
The case centers on whether the school's punishment of B. L. for her off-campus speech violated her First Amendment rights.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)B. L. and her parents sought relief in federal court, arguing inter alia that punishing B. L. for her speech violated the First Amendment.
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Why Procedural Due Process is relevant to Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L.
The case involves the school's authority to regulate student speech and the procedures followed in punishing B. L. for her off-campus expression.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The school violated B. L.'s First Amendment rights when it suspended her from the junior varsity cheerleading squad.
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Why State–Federal Power is relevant to Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L.
The case discusses the balance of power between school authority and individual rights, particularly in regulating off-campus speech.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The special characteristics that give schools additional license to regulate student speech do not always disappear when that speech takes place off campus.
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L. that support the summary and concepts above.
The special interests offered by the school are not sufficient to overcome B. L.'s interest in free expression in this case.
B. L.'s posts are entitled to First Amendment protection.
The school's interest in preventing disruption is not supported by the record.
