In free speech ruling, Supreme Court sides with former high school cheerleader who cursed online

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled in favor of a former high school cheerleader who argued  she could not be punished by her public school for a profanity-laced caption she posted on Snapchat while off school grounds, according to news reports. 

In a 9-1 decision, the high court ruled the Pennsylvania public school wrongly suspended Brandi Levy, who was a 14-year-old  freshman when she expressed her disappointment online over not making the varsity cheerleading team with post that included a string of curse words and a raised middle finger, according to the Associated Press. 

Levy was not in school when she made her post, but she was suspended from cheerleading activities for a year anyway.

Justice Stephen Breyer in writing the court's opinion stated the suspension violated Levy’s First Amendment rights. 

But the justices did not foreclose schools from disciplining students for what they say off campus, the wire service also reports.