What did Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District establish for children's rights?

The correct answer highlights that Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District established that children have civil rights independent of their parents, particularly in the context of free speech. This landmark Supreme Court case, decided in 1969, centered around students who wore black armbands to school in protest of the Vietnam War. The court ruled that students did not lose their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech when they were on school grounds, emphasizing that students are entitled to express their opinions as long as their actions do not disrupt the educational process.

This ruling is significant because it acknowledges that minors possess certain rights and are capable of engaging in personal expression, which reinforces the idea that children are individuals with their own rights rather than merely extensions of their parents' rights. In this context, the ruling supports the notion that schools cannot impose restrictions on student speech without a justifiable reason directly linked to preventing disruption. This case has had lasting implications for students' rights and has been referenced in numerous subsequent cases regarding free speech in educational settings.