Summary of Opinion in Aaron Fricke v. Richard B. Lynch
5/28/1980
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This court document is a summary of the opinion of the District Court of the United States for the District of Rhode Island in the case Aaron Fricke v. Richard B. Lynch, one of the earliest cases involving LGBTQ+ civil rights.
The plaintiff in this case, Aaron Fricke, was an 18-year-old male high school student. He was denied a ticket to his prom at Cumberland High School in Rhode Island because he planned to bring a male date. Fricke and his attorneys claimed this violated his First Amendment rights of association and free speech, and his Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection of the laws. They sought an injunction ordering the high school to allow Fricke to attend. The court issued the injunction in Fricke v. Lynch, and Aaron Fricke was allowed to attend the prom with his date.
The opinion referenced other first amendment student speech cases, including Gay Students Organization of the University of New Hampshire v. Bonner and Tinker v. Des Moines.
The plaintiff in this case, Aaron Fricke, was an 18-year-old male high school student. He was denied a ticket to his prom at Cumberland High School in Rhode Island because he planned to bring a male date. Fricke and his attorneys claimed this violated his First Amendment rights of association and free speech, and his Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection of the laws. They sought an injunction ordering the high school to allow Fricke to attend. The court issued the injunction in Fricke v. Lynch, and Aaron Fricke was allowed to attend the prom with his date.
The opinion referenced other first amendment student speech cases, including Gay Students Organization of the University of New Hampshire v. Bonner and Tinker v. Des Moines.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 29033010
Full Citation: Summary of Opinion in Aaron Fricke v. Richard B. Lynch; 5/28/1980 ; Aaron Fricke v. Richard B. Lynch; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1999; Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives at Boston, Waltham, MA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/summary-opinion-fricke-v-lynch, June 5, 2023]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
