Christian Flag in Center of Supreme Court Fight Raised on Boston’s City Hall Plaza

Harold Shurtleff told CBS Boston during Wednesday’s morning ceremony that he and his organization were very excited but “I think what’s more important is the precedent we set."

Supreme Court Rules Boston Violated First Amendment in Flagpole Suit

On May 2nd, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that the city of Boston violated the First Amendment when it refused to let a religious nonprofit fly its flag. Boston City Hall has three flagpoles that fly the American flag, the state of Massachusetts’s flag, and a rotating cast of flags from various organizations that apply for permission.

Supreme Court Rules that Student’s Off-Campus Speech Is Protected By the First Amendment

In an 8-1 decision on June 23rd, the Supreme Court ruled that a student’s off-campus speech was protected by the First Amendment. The case, Mahanoy Area School District v B.L., involves a message posted on Snapchat by a then-14 year old student identified as “B.L.”, after she learned she failed to advance from the junior varsity to the varsity cheerleading squad. The message, posted on a Saturday afternoon when she was off-campus, stated, in part, “f*** cheer, f***everything.”