Case Summary: Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. (2021) (High School Level)

Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. was our winter 2021 SCOTUS in the Classroom case.  

Each SCOTUS Term, Street Law selects the most classroom-relevant, student-friendly cases as our SCOTUS in the Classroom cases. Teachers are encouraged to hold moot courts or mini-moot courts of the case the same weeks that the Supreme Court hears arguments, giving students the opportunity to follow discussion and analysis in the news and listen to or read a transcript of the actual oral arguments at the Court. 

Case Summary and Activities:

• To download the case summary, use the add to cart button above. 
• Middle school-level case summary
• Classifying Arguments Activity:
• High school-level activity
• Middle school-level activity
• Applying Precedents Activity
• Deliberation Materials

Case Issue: 

Does Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, which holds that public school officials may regulate speech that would materially and substantially disrupt the work and discipline of the school, apply to student speech that occurs off campus?

Case Briefs:

• Brief of Petitioner: Mahanoy Area School District
• Brief of Respondent: B.L.

Oral Argument:

• Audio recording and transcript of the oral argument from the Supreme Court

Decision:

• Link to the opinion of the Court

News Articles and Resources:

• New York Times: "A Cheerleader's Vulgar Message Prompts a First Amendment Showdown" (December 28, 2020)
• Education Week: "U.S. Supreme Court to Weigh Whether Schools May Discipline Students for Internet Speech" (January 08, 2021)
• Education Week: "How a Cheerleader’s Snapchat Profanity Could Shape the Limits of Students’ Free Speech" (April 12, 2021)
• Street Law Student Speech Webinar Series: "Teaching Tinker Webinar with Mary Beth Tinker" (March 10, 2021)
• Street Law Student Speech Webinar Series: "Tinker v. Des Moines Student Webinar with Mary Beth Tinker" (March 17, 2021)
• Street Law Student Speech Webinar Series: "Teaching Mahanoy v. BL Webinar" (March 24, 2021)
• Street Law Student Speech Webinar Series: "Mahanoy v. BL Student Webinar" (March 31, 2021)

How to Conduct a Moot Court or a Mini-Moot Court:

• Classroom Guide to Moot Courts
• Mini-Moot Courts Resource Bundle and Video 

Additional details:

• All Street Law Case Summaries include case facts, issues, relevant constitutional provisions/statutes/precedents, arguments for each side, and decision. They have been reviewed by both legal experts and educators and are ready for classroom use.  
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