02/06/2026
In Mr. Johnston’s Speech and Debate class, students recently performed a mock trial about a civil dispute involving a school and a student who was forced to change an “offensive” political shirt and warned that there would be more serious consequences if it happened again. The student said that the incident, along with the bullying that followed, disrupted her education and caused her emotional distress, raising serious questions about whether her First Amendment rights had been violated.
Ms. Hoffman’s freshman Civics class served as the jury, listening carefully to both sides. The prosecution, made up of Mara Turner, Johnny Barnette, Emily Valencik, Mason Laubach, and Nick Briggs, argued that the school violated the student’s First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and opinion and did not properly address the bullying that occurred after the incident. On the other side, the defense team, Dillen Brassard, Larry Kittle, and Karley McHale, claimed that the school made a reasonable judgment call in asking the student to remove the shirt because it was causing a disruption in the classroom, and argued that the school could not address the bullying if they were never made aware it was happening.
Overseeing the trial was Judge Leah Fenstermacher, who kept order and made sure everyone followed courtroom procedures as the jury worked toward a decision. In the end, the jury sided with the prosecution, and the school was found guilty.
Contributor: Maddison Yost, Print/Digital Media Intern
