1988: Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier

Student journalists at Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis, Missouri wrote stories on their peers’ experiences with divorce and teen pregnancy as part of their journalism class. Without warning, the principal censored the stories, removing them from the school newspaper as it was heading to the printer. The principal reasoned that, although the pregnant students’ names weren’t used, readers might be able to identify them. Additionally, the students had not given the divorcees mentioned in the story a chance to respond to what others had said about them.

The students, including Cathy Kuhlemeier, sued the school for violating their First Amendment rights. The case made its way to the Supreme Court, where the school won in a 5-3 ruling.

The Supreme Court reasoned that schools have the right to censor school-sponsored newspaper content to set high standards for journalistic practices and prevent content “inconsistent with the shared values of a civilized social order” from being published if the content posed “legitimate pedagogical concerns.” They concluded that the principals’ censorship adhered to these conditions, as the content of the story could significantly affect the students and parents mentioned in the reporting.

What this means for free speech: Hazelwood was a significant step backward in the balance between student rights and administrative control. Today, a number of states have enacted New Voices legislation to make schools more welcoming places for student voice.