HIGH COURT TO HEAR STUDENT SPEECH CASES

The Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday in the case of Joseph
Frederick, the Alaska high school student who was suspended for
displaying a "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner.

Other cases involving students' First Amendment rights are making
their way through the courts:

- - In Vermont, middle school student Zachary Guiles wore a T-shirt
that used images of cocaine use and a martini glass to criticize
President Bush. The shirt also called Bush "chicken-hawk-in-chief"
and said he was on a "world domination tour."

School authorities said the shirt violated a dress code that bans
clothing that promotes use of alcohol or drugs. Guiles taped over the
images, sued and won rulings from lower federal courts. The Supreme
Court has yet to act on the school district's appeal.

- - In suburban San Diego, Tyler Harper was pulled from his class for
wearing a T-shirt bearing the words "homosexuality is shameful."
Harper said he wore the shirt after his school backed an event meant
to show support for homosexuals, bisexuals and trans-gender students.

Harper sued the Poway Unified School District for violating his civil
rights, contending he was suspended for expressing "sincerely held
religious beliefs." The school said its dress code is designed to
prevent disruption.

A federal judge upheld the policy and the same federal appeals court
that sided with Frederick now is considering the case.

- - A national Christian legal group sued a suburban Philadelphia
school district on free-speech grounds, saying the district censors
prayer club members and threatens discipline if students speak out
against homosexuality.

The lawsuit filed by the Alliance Defense Fund accuses the
Downingtown Area School District of improperly forcing a student
group to drop explicitly Christian or Scriptural references from its
literature, and to meet as the "Prayer Club" instead of the preferred
"Bible Club."