| The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decided a public school student’s anti-gay t-shirt is not speech protected by the first amendment. They ruled free speech rights of school students must be balanced against the rights of gay students to receive an education free of “verbal assaults on their self esteem.” The court also concluded there is no first amendment right to insult members of a captive audience compelled to listen. Gay students are required to attend school. |