Deborah Morse, et al. v. Joseph Frederick

Decided June 25, 2007. John Glover Roberts Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 06-278 · 551 U.S. 393 (2007) · Cited 488 times

Holding

Because schools may take steps to safeguard those entrusted to their care from speech that can reasonably be regarded as encouraging illegal drug use, the school officials in this case did not violate the First Amendment by confiscating the pro-drug banner and suspending Frederick.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–4.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District · 393 U.S. 503 (1969)
• Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser · 478 U.S. 675 (1986)
• Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier · 484 U.S. 260 (1988)
• Vernonia School District 47J v. Acton · 515 U.S. 646 (1995)
• Brandenburg v. Ohio · 395 U.S. 444 (1969)
• Meyer v. Nebraska · 262 U.S. 390 (1923)
• Abrams v. United States · 250 U.S. 616 (1919)
• Whitney v. California · 274 U.S. 357 (1927)
• Wood v. Strickland · 420 U.S. 308 (1975)
• Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls · 536 U.S. 822 (2002)
• Harlow v. Fitzgerald · 457 U.S. 800 (1982)
• Cox v. Louisiana · 379 U.S. 536 (1965)
• Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority · 297 U.S. 288 (1936)
• Thomas v. Collins · 323 U.S. 516 (1945)
• Gonzales v. Raich · 545 U.S. 1 (2005)
• Hamilton v. Regents of the University of California · 293 U.S. 245 (1934)
• Malley v. Briggs · 475 U.S. 335 (1986)
• County of Sacramento v. Lewis · 523 U.S. 833 (1998)
• Cantwell v. Connecticut · 310 U.S. 296 (1940)
• Payne v. Tennessee · 501 U.S. 808 (1991)
• Brosseau v. Haugen · 543 U.S. 194 (2004)
• Siegert v. Gilley · 500 U.S. 226 (1991)
• Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire · 315 U.S. 568 (1942)
• West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette · 319 U.S. 624 (1943)
• New Jersey v. T. L. O. · 469 U.S. 325 (1985)
• Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc. · 466 U.S. 485 (1984)
• Rosenberger v. Rector & Visitors of University of Virginia · 515 U.S. 819 (1995)
• Cohen v. California · 403 U.S. 15 (1971)
• Texas v. Johnson · 491 U.S. 397 (1989)
• Lochner v. New York · 198 U.S. 45 (1905)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L. · 594 U.S. 180 (2021)
• Safford Unified School District 1 v. Redding · 557 U.S. 364 (2009)
• Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission · 558 U.S. 310 (2010)
• Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Assn. · 564 U.S. 786 (2011)
• Iancu v. Brunetti · 588 U.S. 388 (2019)
• Pearson v. Callahan · 555 U.S. 223 (2009)
• Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. · 551 U.S. 449 (2007)
• Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Comm'n · 584 U.S. 617 (2018)
• Mahmoud v. Taylor · 606 U.S. 522 (2025)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

Explore from here

John Glover Roberts Jr.’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2007). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).