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The North Star

The student news site of Naperville North High School

The North Star

The student news site of Naperville North High School

The North Star

Civil Liberties: Student Sasha Cohen fights for district policy change

sashacohenmugcrop by Sasha Cohen

For anyone who has not yet heard my story, I am Sasha Cohen and I am a student at Naperville North High School. Due to a recent incident at NNHS, I wish to highlight a need for policy change that is long overdue. On Wednesday December 12th I chose to exercise my First Amendment rights; I wore a t-shirt to school bearing the politically controversial statement “the war on drugs is a war on minorities and youth fight to end it.” It also had the green marijuana leaf symbol with the caption “legalize, regulate, educate, medicate.”

A teacher demanded I remove the shirt, but I refused, citing my rights as established constitutionally and in court cases. I was subsequently taken to my dean who rejected my reasonable explanation that this was a political statement and was therefore protected at a constitutional level. She cited the board policy 7:190, which forbids garments “that depict or promote use of alcohol or drugs.” She then gave me two options: I could face suspension, which would be a permanent mark on my academic record, or I could sacrifice a basic right which is inherent to my very humanity. I informed her that I would choose the former.

Before the suspension was formally issued, a compromise was reached in which I submitted an official proposal to appeal to the board rule. I stopped wearing the shirt while awaiting a decision on my proposal. The district denied my request.

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I am not attempting to convince people that legalization is correct or to make all readers advocates of my political views. I merely wish to be permitted to express my sincerely held political beliefs in a “silent, passive expression of opinion, unaccompanied by any disorder or disturbance” as the majority opinion in Tinker V. DesMoines so eloquently stated.

The board policy in question prohibits garments that “promote or depict the use of alcohol or drugs,” which I also contest as being non-applicable to my situation. Considering that this shirt is a political opinion, it must be granted greater legal protection. In 2007 the Supreme Court ruled in Morse V. Frederick that a school and its officials may restrict student speech when it is viewed by any reasonable adult as promoting illegal drug usage. I assume that is the precedent used by District 203 for its policy. However, as the majority opinion Chief Justice Roberts stated, “This is plainly not a case about political debate over the criminalization of drug use or possession.”  Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justice Breyer in a concurring opinion, stated that he joined the majority with the understanding that “it provides no support for any restriction of speech that can plausibly be interpreted as commenting on any political or social issue, including speech on issues such as ‘the wisdom of the war on drugs’ or of legalizing marijuana for medicinal use.”

The case law is clearly supportive of this fundamental right. It is obvious that the First Amendment exists to protect democracy from becoming a “tyranny of the majority” where minority views are censored and suppressed. Even in our neighboring District 204, there was a legal battle over a political shirt that is considered rude, controversial, and simply offensive. Within our own city of Naperville, other students are fighting for and winning their rights under the law. It is crucial that we change our policies to permit people the right to express any and all legitimately held political and religious beliefs.

 

Sasha Cohen is an opinion writer for The North Star newspaper club.

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  • D

    DjbennyboiMar 25, 2013 at 4:20 pm

    All u hater sound dumb. This natural plant they call a drug saves people’s lives daily. Some kids with epilepsy are prescribed this drug not to get high but to medicate their conditions. So all of you who are against Sasha are just a bunch of ignorant fools. Keep up the good work Sasha

    Reply
  • W

    who cares to knowFeb 22, 2013 at 4:23 pm

    you are my hero <3

    Reply
  • A

    Another ThingFeb 22, 2013 at 1:12 pm

    Although this T-shirt may be a legitment form of expression, I believe it can be accuratly assumed that a legalize marijuana shirt would cause much controversy in the halls of NNHS. Such a shirt is a major distraction from the educational process. So sure, the school might be violating your rights, but you are violating the rights of every student to have an undisturbed learning environment.

    Reply
  • G

    GetSomeLogicFeb 20, 2013 at 12:25 am

    Really? Just stop, please. This is too much. Go take AP gov, learn about what you can and cannot do on school property, then come back. People need to stop supporting this type of behavior.

    Reply
  • S

    Sasha-OfficialFeb 14, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    Your Biggest Fan, Morse V. Frederick specifies that “this is not a case about political speech regarding the ‘wisdom of the war on drugs'” because the speech of Frederick was not political in nature it was not protected. In fact Justice Alito, in the concurring opinion, specified that the understanding of the ruling included provisions barring schools from forbidding political speech about any issue, including legalization. I have read the full opinions of the court, and multiple scholarly legal interpretations, and I had my claims evaluated by multiple lawyers all of whom found me 100% solid.

    Reply
  • .

    ......Feb 14, 2013 at 6:07 pm

    dude…..no just stop this aint goin to work no matter how hard you try just because you decided to choose the 1 shirt that had to deal with drugs to school dosent mean you have to draw attention if i were you at the time i would just wear the shirt at another time but dont make this into a big deal….lame

    Reply
  • 2

    2CHAINZFeb 14, 2013 at 12:05 pm

    sasha was proposing the medication and legalization of the plant, so its treatment is that of a political statement instead of a promotion of illegal use, “your biggest fan”…

    Reply
  • Y

    Your Biggest FanFeb 14, 2013 at 9:49 am

    Morse v Frederick denies you your first Amendment rights because you are still promoting the usage of illegal drugs. You should have stopped when you had the chance, you’re not going to the supreme court with this. It is clearly established that your speech can be penalized if it is about the use (as medication) of illegal drugs… Because they’re still illegal. Although the education, legalization, medication, and regulation of marijuana is legal the plant is not. Spend 5 minutes on Wikipedia before you decide to make yourself a martyr

    Reply
  • AnonymousFeb 14, 2013 at 7:24 am

    Testify!

    Reply
  • A

    anonFeb 13, 2013 at 10:54 pm

    YOU GO SASHA.
    you are such an example to others!

    Reply
  • C

    Chief KeefFeb 13, 2013 at 8:51 pm

    PREACH

    Reply
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Civil Liberties: Student Sasha Cohen fights for district policy change