Tinker v. Des Moines was a landmark Supreme Court decision because it guaranteed the students' rights to free speech in public schools.
Tinker v Des Moines ( 1969 ) ruled that the First Amendment applied to students at schools, and that the school authorities were wrong in trying to infringe on these rights.
Some students in Des Moines, Iowa, protested against the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to schools. The principal of the schools asked them to remove the armbands, otherwise they would be suspended.
The case went to court and the school was given the right to suspend the protesting students. The Supreme Court, however, ruled in favor of them, stating that the First Amendment did apply to public schools, and that the school administrators had no reason to censor the students' speech as they did not cause any disruption.
This case is important because it shows that school officials do not posses absolute authority over their students.
