Tinker Test

The Tinker Test is a legal standard used to determine whether students' free speech rights are protected in schools. It originated from a 1969 U.S. Supreme Court case involving students who wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The Court ruled that students’ speech is protected as long as it doesn’t cause substantial disruption or interfere with the educational environment. In practice, the Tinker Test asks whether the student’s expression is likely to cause significant disorder or distraction, allowing schools to limit speech only if it disrupts school operations.