Windham – Students at Windham High School recently had the opportunity to meet the student free speech advocate that virtually all high school Government and US History students cite as a landmark case. Mary Beth Tinker was the lead plaintiff in the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District. Ms. Tinker, siblings and classmates were suspended for wearing black arm bands in an effort to bring attention to those giving their lives in the Vietnam War. The case ultimately was decided by a 7-2 decision by the Supreme Court Justices determining that “…students nor teachers shed their rights at the schoolhouse gate.”
Ms. Tinker stopped in the area as part of the Tinker Tour where she is touring the country to share her story of positive impact youth can make when they make their voices heard. Students from Windham High School had the opportunity to talk with Ms. Tinker prior to her keynote speech to the Ohio Scholastic Media Association. She entertained questions ranging from school dress code to her feelings about being cited in textbooks across the country. Students walked away with a greater understanding of their first amendment rights and some even were fortunate to be given a black arm band of their own.
