Case Law Index
federal2021
Additional Highlights:First AmendmentStudent SpeechOff-Campus Expression
Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L.
United States Supreme Court
Key Holding
A school that punishes a student for off-campus speech must overcome a significant burden before regulation is permissible; the cheerleader's profane Snapchat violated the First Amendment to discipline.
Case Summary
Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L. held that a public school cannot discipline a student for off-campus speech unless special circumstances apply, finding that suspending a student for an off-campus profane Snapchat message criticizing the school violated the First Amendment.