First Grader Wins In Dumbest Lawsuit
A first-grade student and her family won a lawsuit against a school district after the student was punished for a 'Black Lives Matter' drawing.Summary
In 2021, a first-grader named B.B. created a drawing with the message “Black Lives Mater [sic] any life” after a lesson on Martin Luther King Jr., intending to show support for her classmates. After giving the drawing to a Black classmate, M.C., M.C.’s mother expressed concern due to her daughter being the only Black student in the class and requested the school take action. The school principal allegedly told B.B. the drawing was “not appropriate” and “racist,” resulting in a two-week recess ban and a forced apology. B.B.’s mother subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging a violation of her daughter’s First Amendment rights. A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of B.B., affirming that elementary school students are protected under the First Amendment, and that schools can only restrict speech when necessary to protect student safety. The court vacated a previous ruling that granted school administrators unchecked authority over student speech, sending the case back for further proceedings, with the Pacific Legal Foundation stating that “Students don’t lose their constitutional rights just because they’re young.”
(Source：Dailycaller)