DELINEATING ARGUMENTS: CASE STUDY

School Conflict
Recently, a student came to school wearing a T-shirt with a provocative graphic on it and what When asked to stop wearing the shirts, these students also refused to do so. Faced with the
some people viewed as misogynistic lyrics from a song by a popular rap artist. A teacher who was dilemma of what to do, the school administration is proposing changes to school policy and a
ISSUE

offended by the shirt referred the student to the office, where the assistant principal told him to go dress code that prohibits clothing with any words, logos, graphics, or designer labels. Those
home, change the shirt, and never wear it to school again. When the student refused to do so, he opposed to the code claim that it essentially requires students to wear a school “uniform.”
was suspended for insubordination. In protest, a large group of sympathetic students produced
and wore T-shirts that read, “Life’s a b----… when you lose your right to free speech.” At a school board meeting, students and staff present arguments about the proposed policy
change.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

The junior class president, a male, has been one of the leaders of the T-shirt protest group. He sees the The high school principal, a woman, is concerned about disruptions in school resulting from the
issue as a symbolic one, and is opposed to policies and actions that deny students’ rights. His parents, wearing of clothing that may be offensive to some students and staff members. While she was
among the more affluent families in the school district, are active members of the American Civil personally offended by the words on the T-shirt, she has also tried to listen to and reason with the
Liberties Union (ACLU) and supported the production of the protesters’ T-shirts. protesting students, to little avail. Regarding student dress in general, she is concerned that many of her
students lack the money to afford the designer label clothing worn by some of her more affluent
He presents the following argument: students, and the class distinctions that result based mostly on student dress.
Any restriction on student dress violates students’ basic rights. Once a student clothing choice is She presents the following argument:
prohibited because it is considered “offensive,” a precedent is set for limiting free speech in all
areas of school life. The offensive T-shirt, and the student’s refusal to remove it, put school administrators in a difficult,
“no win” situation. When the assistant principal asked the student to go home and change his shirt,
Americans, including American high school students, are guaranteed the right to free speech by he was making a “reasonable request,” as defined in the school’s Code of Conduct. When the
the US Constitution. The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights states, “Congress shall make no student refused, the administrator had no choice but to suspend him for “insubordination.”
law… abridging the freedom of speech… ”
PERSPECTIVES

The school has over 1500 students and 100 staff members. Many staff members and a number of
Public schools are agencies of government, and therefore are expected to follow the law as female students found the shirt’s message and graphic to be offensive. In situations such as this
established in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The US Supreme Court has upheld the free one, the school administration must ensure that the school environment is not disrupted.
speech rights of students. In a case similar to this one, Justice Abe Fortas wrote, “First Amendment Administrators often have to prioritize the “good of many” over the preferences of a few.
rights, applied in light of the special characteristics of the school environment, are available to
teachers and students…” When the referring teacher and a group of students who accompanied her came to the office, they
testified that they were “deeply offended” by how the shirt depicted women. They demanded that
The school’s argument to support banning the shirt was flawed. School officials said that the lyrics the student be sent home to change, and said they could not remain in class with him if he wore
on the shirt were “offensive” and therefore “disruptive” to the school environment. As our protest T the shirt. In cases such as this, conflict often results. Our job is to prevent this sort of disruptive
-shirts showed, however, there are many meanings for the word in question, most of which are not conflict.
offensive to anyone. It is defined in the dictionary as meaning: “a female dog,” “a difficult
situation,” or “a querulous, nagging complaint.” Disruptive situations such as this incident can be prevented by a more uniform dress code. Shirts
without any logos, graphics, or designer labels can not offend anyone, and will not be seen as
The protesters’ T-shirts, which they were asked to remove, used the word to represent the “difficult expressions of style, economic status (or free speech, for that matter). A more uniform dress code
situation” that will result if students’ rights to free speech are not respected. The school will help remove distinctions of class and lead to a more unified school community.
administration has shown in a number of specific instances that it is more concerned with
controlling student behavior than guaranteeing student rights. An example would be last spring in In conclusion, and because having to decide what is acceptable or offensive and what is not is a
the student government elections, when posters making fun of some school rules were taken “slippery slope,” the school administration therefore proposes a stricter dress code, clearly
down. describing what is acceptable, uniform dress – with no words, logos, or graphics visible. In so
doing, we can reduce the wearing of offensive clothing, disruptive interpersonal conflict, and class
In conclusion, restrictions on student dress violate students’ basic rights. The school overstepped distinctions in our high school.
its bounds when it used an interpretation of the words on the shirt to argue that the shirt was
offensive. The school’s proposal of a more restrictive dress code will create a “difficult situation” in
which students’ rights may continue to be lost. Therefore, the wearing of such shirts should be
allowed and the dress code should remain non-restrictive so that we don’t set a precedent that
limits free speech in all areas of school life.
OD LL
DUCATION