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Appeals court upholds ban in Edwards T-shirt case

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Comments (5)

Thursday, August 13, 2009

(Updated 2:01 pm)

By
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas school district dress code that banned a student's T-shirt supporting the presidential campaign of former U.S. Sen. John Edwards.

Waxahachie High School and school district officials barred 15-year-old sophomore Paul "Pete" Palmer from wearing the shirts to school in September 2007. He sued, alleging that school and district officials infringed on his free-speech rights.

A federal judge in Dallas denied Palmer a court order to allow him to wear shirts displaying political messages to school. In a 15-page opinion filed Thursday in New Orleans, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concurred.

The three-judge panel says the dress code is "content-neutral" and intended to avert distractions from education. Since dress outside school and message buttons are allowed, the judges ruled that civil rights aren't violated.

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Spag

August 13, 2009 - 2:14 pm EDT

So there is no Constitutional right to embarrass yourself by wearing a John Edwards t-shirt to school.

Seriously, I think the Court is wrong on this one. It is exactly this kind of speech that the Constitution protects- particularly if you are required by the government to attend school.

whyus

August 13, 2009 - 3:11 pm EDT

I bet if he wore a Barack Obama shirt to school the results would have been different.

thestatelottery

August 13, 2009 - 4:25 pm EDT

Yeah, they may have arrested him if he wore that in Texas.

newshound

August 13, 2009 - 4:41 pm EDT

...thestatelottery, your are so corrrect or they would have probably dragged him behind a pick up truck.

countryboy

August 13, 2009 - 4:41 pm EDT

They could always adopt the GCS Standard Mode of Dress...if that's not a available just look online for the Hitler Youth Dress Code. If it is a distraction...ban it, but seriously, unless you are a 40 year old videographer or someone wanting to sue someone else, you are not going to be distracted by John Edwards.