"On a daily basis, school officials get challenged with shirts that have marijuana leaves or liquor ads," Evans said. Student speech conflicts in Jordan district typically involve T-shirts rather than protests or banners. Officials resolve most disputes with little fanfare, but have gotten flak for quashing politically charged messages. Recent high-profile cases involved a pro-gay, anti-smoking shirt reading "Queers Kick Ash." Administrators also discouraged anti-war T-shirts after U.S. troops invaded Iraq.

"There's never a bright line test," Evans said. "We try to be very, very accommodating in these things."

Although the decision may not have an immediate impact on school officials, it continues a Supreme Court trend that seems to favor speech rights of majorities over minorities or individuals, said Ed Carter, a Brigham Young University communications professor who recently published a research study on the issue.

"The court seems to be saying, 'Any organization, including the government, has first amendment rights too,' " he said. " 'And if the government wants to send an anti-drug message, we can't allow this one student to counter that message.' "

- Nicole Stricker