Should he be able to express himself?

Question

In my American Cultures class, we are talking about the amendments, and stuff like that. My teacher was reading us this article about a teen boy who wore a kilt to his prom because he was celebrating his new found hereitage. The principal see's him and orders him to change out of the kilt, because he said it was a disgrace to the school. The boy also said the principal told him he looked like a clown. It says in the first amendment that all citizens have Freedom of Speech, and under that is Freedom of expression. Do you think that this teen should have been able to wear this kilt, and do you think he is being deprived of his rights?

Answer 1

No and no
choosing what to wear, I suppose, is a form of expression, but prom is a function of a school, public or private. Because its a function of a public/private group authority is reserved to appointed leaders, i.e. the principal is enforcing a policy. even if the dress code does NOT specifically ban kilts, the principal is still responsible to enforce the policy (what if the kilt wearer showed off his junk to all the girls? the principal could be an accessory for NOT preventing lude behavior) and sending the boy in the kilt out of the prom is entirely in the spirit of the dress code. Plus, there are minors present, that also supersedes open ended free expression. It is akin to a parent who may be a nudist, he does NOT have a right to visit his children in school NAKED, nor is he free to send his children to school naked. Also clothing with offensive language or pictures. Certainly an adult can be free to wear these, but its inappropriate around minors.
Do NOT mistake the right to free speech as the RIGHT to an audience!!!

Answer 2

While he does have a freedom to expression, the school also has a right to have a dress code. If the kilt was in violation of the dress code then he shouldn't have worn it.