Supreme Court declines new student speech case in challenge to Texas school dress code

Supreme Court rejects school dress code challenge

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is declining to review a Texas school district dress code that prohibited student clothing that featured political commentary.

Without comment Monday, the justices rejected an appeal from a high school senior in suburban Dallas who sued the Waxahachie Independent School District for political censorship.

Paul “Pete” Palmer, now a senior, first sought to wear a T-shirt supporting John Edwards’ presidential campaign in 2007. He later asked permission to wear other shirts with political messages, including one that had “Freedom of Speech” on the front and the First Amendment printed on the back. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the code, saying its intent was to eliminate distractions.