Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/20pdf/20-255_g3bi.pdf
Page Number: 15

Cite as:  594 U. S. ____ (2021) 

1 

ALITO, J., concurring 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

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No. 20–255 
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MAHANOY AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT, PETITIONER v. 
B. L., A MINOR, BY AND THROUGH HER FATHER, 
LAWRENCE LEVY AND HER MOTHER, 
BETTY LOU LEVY 

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF 
APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT 

[June 23, 2021] 

JUSTICE ALITO, with whom JUSTICE GORSUCH joins, con-

curring. 

I  join  the  opinion  of  the  Court  but  write  separately  to
explain  my  understanding  of  the  Court’s  decision  and 
the  framework  within  which  I  think  cases  like  this 
should  be  analyzed.  This  is  the  first  case  in  which  we 
have  considered  the  constitutionality  of  a  public  school’s 
attempt  to  regulate  true  off-premises  student  speech,1 

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1 In  Tinker  v.  Des  Moines  Independent  Community  School  Dist.,  393 
U. S. 503 (1969), not only did the speech occur on school grounds during
the regular school day, but our opinion was specifically directed at on-
premises  speech.  See id., at 506 (“It can  hardly be argued that either
students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech 
or  expression  at  the  schoolhouse  gate”  (emphasis  added));  ibid.  (“First
Amendment rights, applied in light of the special characteristics of the 
school  environment,  are  available  to  teachers  and  students”  (emphasis 
added)); id., at 507 (“[T]he Court has repeatedly emphasized the need for
affirming the comprehensive authority of the States and of school offi-
cials, consistent with fundamental constitutional safeguards, to prescribe 
and  control  conduct  in  the  schools”  (emphasis  added));  id.,  at  512–513 
(referring to speech that occurs “in the classroom,” “in the cafeteria, or
on  the  playing  field,  or  on  the  campus  during  the  authorized  hours”). 
Tinker  makes  no  reference  whatsoever  to  speech  that  takes  place  off
premises and outside “authorized hours.”