The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal which sought to ban students in Pennsylvania from wearing controversial breast cancer awareness bracelets.
The Easton Area School District had prevented youths from wearing bracelets emblazoned with "I (heart) Boobies!", alleging the words were lewd.
Two students legally challenged the ban in 2010, citing freedom of speech.
The US court's decision leaves in place an earlier ruling by a federal appeals court overturning the ban.
I am happy we won this case, because it's important that students have the right to stand up for a cause and try to make a difference. We just wanted to raise awareness about breast cancer," student Brianna Hawk said in an American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania statement following the Supreme Court decision.
Brianna, along with Kayla Martinez, sued the school district after it banned seventh- and eighth-grade students from wearing the bracelets prior to national breast cancer awareness day in October 2010.
The students refused to remove the bracelets - sold by the breast cancer awareness group Keep A Breast Foundation - and were reportedly given one-and-a-half day suspensions.
In April 2011, a district court issued an injunction preventing the school from disciplining students as a result of wearing the bracelets.
The Easton Area School District said it was "disappointed" following the Supreme Court decision on Monday.
The decision "robs educators and school boards of the ability to strike a reasonable balance between a student's right to creative expression and school's obligation to maintain an environment focused on education and free from sexual entendre and vulgarity", according to a statement released by the school district to US media.
I (heart) Boobies
I (heart) Boobies
Dear god, someone needs to grow up...
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: I (heart) Boobies
It's not like they are letting the young women show off their budbies. 
Re: I (heart) Boobies
an environment focused on education and free from sexual entendre and vulgarity
While I admit that it might be a (very) little bit blue humor, I fail to see it having either a sexual connotation (unless every mention of breasts is sexual, and KFC should be closed) or any hint of vulgarity. Indeed, I seriously question whether a district that would find that bracelet a sexual "entendre" or vulgar, could even remotely be interested in "an environment focused on education". But then maybe those officials are the real "boobies" (no sexual entendre intended).
Re: I (heart) Boobies
If they can create an environment in the United States that is free from sexual entendre and vulgarity they will have accomplished something monumental.
Re: I (heart) Boobies
Then I guess the Supreme Court's ruling will allow you to wear this and others like it at school....
Re: I (heart) Boobies
Monumental; like the giant phallus erected (pun intended) to the memory of George Washington?dgs49 wrote:If they can create an environment in the United States that is free from sexual entendre and vulgarity they will have accomplished something monumental.
Re: I (heart) Boobies
Everybody loves boobies!
Each is an individual and deserves respect and recognition on its own but they're better in pairs:
Now that's a cute pair of boobies!
yrs,
rubato
Each is an individual and deserves respect and recognition on its own but they're better in pairs:
Now that's a cute pair of boobies!
yrs,
rubato