ASSIGNMENT : How would you respond to both groups?

Following current events related to immigration reform, a group of students came to school wearing t-shirts representing national flags from a variety of countries and were bullied by fellow students with a variety of racial and ethnic slurs.  How would you respond to both groups?  Be sure to cite any applicable case law, school board policies, and state laws to support your answer.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

The level of intolerance associated with immigration reform is increasing by the day. It must be noticed that the First Amendment to the US Constitution allows for freedom of expression (Alexander & Alexander, 2011). Indeed, under this amendment, all citizens are afforded the right to express their displeasure in whichever manner they deem fit, as long as they do not violate any other laws and the rights of others (Alexander & Alexander, 2011). The writings and colors printed on the shirts and other attire forms part of ways that the law allows for the afflicted individuals to protest. As such, the protesting group did not infringe any law or policies by the virtue of wearing t-shirts printed in the colors of other countries’ national flags. One such case that has been cited for many years is the Tinker Vs Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969). The case involved the suspension of two brothers in a junior high school for wearing armbands depicting their protest against the hostilities that were happening in Vietnam.

The bullying team, on the other hand violates the various state anti-bullying laws that aim at protecting students from aggressive actions. Besides, our school has an anti-bullying policy which seeks to stop individuals from harassing and being subjected to racial and ethnic slurs. Under the school board policies, the students may face suspension for a period of time and if the behaviour does not change, they may be expelled. My response, therefore, would be to inform the bullying team of what the federal, state laws and school policies say about their actions…