A federal judge has blocked a Pennsylvania school district from enforcing its ban on breast cancer-awareness bracelets that read “I (heart) Boobies,” saying the ban is likely unconstitutional under U.S. Supreme Court precedents on student speech.
The rubber bracelets are sponsored by the nonprofit Keep A Breast Foundation of Carlsbad, Calif., which intended for them to facilitate discussions of breast cancer and health. The Easton Area School District banned them, arguing that the phrase was vulgar and inappropriate for middle school students.
Two students who were suspended for defying the district’s prohibition challenged it in court, and U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin issued a temporary injunction last week barring the district from enforcing its ban.
Other districts around the country also have banned the bracelets.
