Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier

Kuhlmeier (plaintiff) and other students staffed Spectrum, the school newspaper at Hazelwood East High School, part of the Hazelwood School District (defendant). Before each issue was printed, the school principal reviewed a draft; on one occasion, he ordered two articles removed — one on teen pregnancy and one on divorce — because he thought they were inappropriate for the student audience and there wasn't time left to properly edit them before the printing deadline. Kuhlmeier sued, arguing the deletion violated the students' First Amendment rights. The district court ruled for the school; the court of appeals reversed, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.