The official definition of censorship, according to the online Oxford Dictionary, is "the suppression or prohibition of any part of books, films, news, etc." Examples of censorship can be seen as far back as the Greek philosopher Socrates in 399 BC, when the Greek state attempted to censor his philosophical teachings (The Long History of Censorship). Even today, governments and companies are caught hiding or withholding information from the public eye. Although censorship is a problem in all aspects, one of the most controversial places of censorship is in schools. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There are countless court cases and debates debating whether or not schools have the right to suppress and control information released to their students. Despite the clear suppression of people's first amendment rights, censorship in schools is a necessary form of protection and privacy implemented for the betterment of the school community. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects citizens' free speech and expression from all levels of government censorship. It states that “Congress shall make no law… abridging free speech.” This freedom and protection is a fundamental right afforded to citizens of the United States. As society has advanced, protection has also extended to cyberspace and social media. But this doesn't include everything; certain types of speech, defined by the Constitution, are prohibited and unprotected. Speech may also be regulated differently depending on the location. The parent lawsuit for all other school censorship court cases is Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District of 1969. This trial established the precedent that students do not lose their constitutional rights to free speech. freedom of speech or expression on school property unless it is disruptive. In this case, students wore black armbands to school to silently protest the Vietnam War. School officials asked the students to remove their bracelets, and when the students refused, they were sent home. It was argued that the school violated the students' First Amendment rights, but the Court ruled that the First Amendment applied to public schools and that school officials could not censor student speech unless it disrupted the educational process ( Tinker v. Des Moines). Because wearing a black armband was not disruptive, the Court held that the First Amendment protected students' right to wear one. By siding with the students, the Supreme Court ensured that students had the right to free speech within schools as long as it did not disrupt the learning process. Tinker v. Des Moines has been invoked in other Supreme Court cases since the 1969 decision. Most recently, in 2002, the Court ruled against a student who held a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" at a school event , claiming that the message could be interpreted as promoting illegal drug use. After the Tinker v. Des Moines, its principles remained upheld but were challenged in courts across the United States. The Supreme Court continues to recognize that Tinker's intent was that viewpoint-specific speech restrictions constituted a violation of the First Amendment. On the other hand, lewd, vulgar, lewd, indecent or school-sponsored speech as in the Hazelwood case, Tinker applies.