Discussion Question 1: Constitutional Rights of Children

Read Chief Justice Robert's majority opinion and Justice John Paul Steven's dissenting opinion in the US Supreme Court case Deborah Morse, et. al. v. Joseph Frederick (2007). Click here to read the case.

Do children have the same constitutional rights to freedom of speech that adults have?

Use another recent case to illustrate your answer. Argue the pros and cons of giving children a right to freedom of speech.

Provide statistical data, sociological findings, research, or important case law to support your answers.

Discussion Question 2: Search and Seizure Rights of Children

In the 2009 US Supreme Court case, Safford Unified School District, et al. v. April Redding, school officials searched the bra and underpants of a thirteen-year-old girl who they thought brought illegal drugs to school.

Was this search an invasion of the girl's privacy?

Should students have an expectation of privacy in their lockers or anywhere else at school?

Provide statistical data, sociological findings, research, or important case law to support your answers.