Law & Courts Video

The Supreme Court’s Vulgar Snapchat Ruling and What It Means for Students’ Free Speech

By Eric Harkleroad — July 1, 2021 4:00
The Supreme Court's Vulgar Snapchat Ruling and What It Means for Students' Free Speech
Education Week
Email Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Copy URL

The Supreme Court last week sided with a former high school cheerleader after a profane Snapchat post got her suspended from the team.

Here’s what the court said and the case’s impact on student speech rights.

Read more

Image shows a picture of Brandi Levy in her cheerleading uniform in front of Mahanoy Area High School.
Brandi Levy, now an 18-year-old college freshman, was a cheerleader at Mahanoy Area High School in Pennsylvania when she made profane comments on Snapchat that were at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court case on student speech rights.
Danna Singer/Provided by the American Civil Liberties Union
Law & Courts U.S. Supreme Court Rules for Cheerleader Who Posted Vulgar Snapchat Message
Mark Walsh, June 23, 2021
•
12 min read
Members of the Supreme Court pose for a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021.
Members of the Supreme Court pose for a group photo in Washington in April.
Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP
Law & Courts Educators Look for Guideposts in Supreme Court Ruling on Student Free Speech
Denisa R. Superville, June 23, 2021
•
6 min read

Eric Harkleroad
Eric Harkleroad is Education Week’s visuals intern for the spring and summer of 2021.
Related Tags:
Supreme Court Court Cases Student Rights First Amendment Education Law Pennsylvania

Video

Teaching Profession Video Will the New Law on Teacher Retirement Benefits Affect You? Here’s How to Know
The Social Security Fairness Act has significant implications for educators who live in these 15 states.
Mark Lieberman & Lauren Santucci
•
3:19
A teacher leads a lesson in an eighth-grade Spanish class.
A teacher leads a lesson in an eighth-grade Spanish class.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Ed-Tech Policy Video What Makes an Effective School Cellphone Policy? An Overview
EdWeek reporter Lauraine Langreo looks at how school cellphone policies are being addressed at the school, district, and state level.
Lauraine Langreo & Lauren Santucci
•
2:22
A ninth grader places her cellphone in to a phone holder as she enters class at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each classroom has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots.
A ninth grader places her cellphone in to a phone holder as she enters class at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each classroom has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots.
Rick Bowmer/AP
Education Funding Video What's in Store for School Funding in the New Trump Administration
EdWeek reporter Mark Lieberman outlines three areas he'll be watching when it comes to school finance under a new Trump administration.
Mark Lieberman & Kaylee Domzalski
•
2:57
122724 finance explainer thumbnail AP BS
AP
English Learners Video What 2025 Could Bring for English Learners
A lot happened with the nation’s growing English-learner population in 2024. Here's a look, and a preview of the year ahead.
Ileana Najarro & Kaylee Domzalski
•
3:08
261224 EOY EL AP BS
AP
See More Multimedia