Awareness Bracelets Fight Heading to Supreme Court
EASTON, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania school district says it will take its fight against "I (heart) Boobies!" awareness bracelets to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Easton Area School District board voted 7-1 Tuesday night to appeal a decision rejecting its claim the awareness bracelets are lewd and should be banned from school.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also determined the district didn't prove the awareness bracelets are disruptive when it upheld a lower court's decision in August.
The silicone wristbands are designed to promote breast cancer awareness among young people. Two girls challenged the school's ban in 2010.
Superintendent John Reinhart tells The Express-Times of Easton the ruling compromised administrators' ability to determine what is and is not appropriate in school.
Dissenting board member Frank Pintabone says the district should let the matter go. The Easton Area School District board voted 7-1 Tuesday night to appeal a decision rejecting its claim the awareness bracelets are lewd and should be banned from school.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also determined the district didn't prove the bracelets are disruptive when it upheld a lower court's decision in August.
The bracelets are designed to promote breast cancer awareness among young people. Two girls challenged the school's ban in 2010.
Superintendent John Reinhart tells The Express-Times of Easton the ruling compromised administrators' ability to determine what is and is not appropriate in school.
Dissenting board member Frank Pintabone says the district should let the matter go. Is this an attack on free speech and democracy? Should students be able to express themselves and raise awareness of issues affecting them and others? The students’ lawyers believe the Third Circuit appeals court decision wasn’t dependent on the Morse case, and the school didn’t consider the bracelets as possibly lewd until after the two students were suspended.
Interested in other fundraising activities that utilise silicone wristbands and why they pass the test of time? Check out this fundraising story and this story in how police use wristbands to improve safety outcomes. Awareness bracelets can help to both raise funds for important causes as well as continue the conversation and branding well into the future, as they are worn for months, sometimes years! What do you use your silicone wristbands for?