Bong Hits 4 Jesus: Butt Out Ken Starr!

Bong Hits 4 Jesus is the catchy name of an Alaskan case that may be headed to the Supreme Court.  It all involves a banner that reads - Bong Hits 4 Jesus - and a student's rights to display his Bong Hits for Jesus sign off school property.

Why Bong Hits 4 Jesus?  The student Joseph Frederick wanted to catch a TV news cameraman.

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Here's the scenario per CNN.

Former Whitewater special counsel Kenneth Starr petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Alaska's "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case, a dispute involving a high school student, a banner and a tough school policy.

Yes - the Monica Lewinsky Ken Starr.

Joseph Frederick, then a senior, was off school property when he hoisted the banner but was suspended for violating the school's policy of promoting illegal substances at a school-sanctioned event.

Fredrick sued the school but lost in federal district court. However, a three-member panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the lower court order and said school officials violated Fredrick's free speech rights.

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"The principal's actions were so outrageous, basically leaving school grounds and punishing a student for a message that is not damaging to the school," said his attorney, Doug Mertz.

Now Starr is trying to take the case to the Supreme Court.  Unbelievable.

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Superintendent Peggy Cowan said the move is necessary as clarification is needed on the rights of administrators when it comes to disciplinary action of students who break the district's drug message policy.

"The district's decision to move forward is not disrespectful to the First Amendment or the rights of students," she said. "This is an important question about how the First Amendment applies to pro-drug messages in an educational setting."

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Here's the rub,  The kid was not on school grounds and not under a school sanctioned activity.  The school admits this.

I'm thinking the school's right end pretty much right there. 

This is when the libertarian in me absolutely come out.  How is this a federal case?  Butt out Ken Starr.  One doesn't need to understand the phrase or even care about it's meaning.

This is an overreach. 

--Oliver Brant