In Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, the Supreme Court used the lens of free press to evaluate a student-run newspaper. At Hazelwood East High School, students wrote for and edited the Spectrum. In 1983, the principal reviewed proofs for a May issue and disagreed with two articles, one on teen pregnancy and another on divorce. As a result, the principal demanded that the articles not be published. The students protested and took the case to court.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the principal. Newspapers in public schools do not experience the same freedoms as private publications under the First Amendment. The court argued that administrators can censor certain aspects of student speech in school-sponsored publications or activities “so long as their actions are reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.” Justice Byron White wrote the majority opinion.