U.S. Supreme Court Issues Major Student Speech Decision Regarding Off-Campus Speech

On June 23, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. (https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/20-255_g3bi.pdf) which considered whether public schools have the authority to discipline students for off-campus speech. In an 8-1 decision, the Court held that, under some circumstances, schools may regulate off-campus speech. However, the Court found that the school violated B.L.’s Free Speech rights within the specific factual context at issue in this case. We will provide in-depth analysis of the Mahanoy decision in our upcoming Summer Newsletter.