Banning of "I love Boobies" bracelet triggers free speech lawsuit

[NewJeffCT]

PHILADELPHIA — Two mothers filed a free-speech lawsuit Monday against a Pennsylvania school district that suspended their daughters for wearing the popular "I (heart) boobies!" bracelets.

The American Civil Liberties Union believes the lawsuit is the first in the country over a school's ban on the bracelets, which are designed to raise breast-cancer awareness among young people. The rubber jewelry has become wildly popular among students, prompting bans across the country.

School officials in Easton argue that the slogan is distracting and demeaning, and that some staff feel it trivializes a serious illness.

The district banned the bracelets in October, a month into the school year and after students had been wearing them without serious incident, the ACLU said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40197408/ns/us_news-life/

[HopeHoops]

1. I LOVE my "boobies" bracelets. What the FUCK is up with banning them?

:bounce: :bounce:

They at least get attention - a lot more than silly magnet "ribbons" on cars.

[NewJeffCT]

2. and, it's for a good cause

breast cancer awareness.

[seabeyond]

4. i listened to a report this morning. they have made millions off bracelet, 100k

only 100k has gone to any kind of breast cancer groups.

sounds to me like not only exploiting women, but women with a deadly disease, ...... to make some bucks.

not gonna see them as the good guys.

[NewJeffCT]

5. that's not good

Hopefully, the report is mistaken.

[HopeHoops]

6. They never claimed it was all going to research - a lot is for education.

One of the driving objectives is getting women (and of course men too) to perform self-examinations and get regular screenings.

[seabeyond]

7. it isnt going for anything. out of millions, 100k has gone to anything associated with

there was a breakdown. the sole purpose is to make a buck, of women tits, women boobs tht can cause them to die. people who are buying these bracelets think it is going to a cause. they are told when they buy it, it is for a cause. it isnt.

[Bucky]

3. I can see the point of the banning groups. It's not like they're pro-cancer

Schools have enough trouble with coarse language among students. Now, I agree "boobies" isn't offensive to me... but then again, I'm a very coarse person. If your job, as a school, includes teaching & modeling basic norms of respect and demeanor in our shared community, it doesn't help if the "good guy" causes decide to be edgy as a way of getting attention for their causes.