Ronald C. Brown v. Hot, Sexy and Safer Productions, Inc.
1995 U.S. App. LEXIS 29785, 68 F.3d 525, 1995 WL 610915 (1995)
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Listen to an audio breakdown of Ronald C. Brown v. Hot, Sexy and Safer Productions, Inc..
Rule of Law:
The Legal Principle
This section distills the key legal rule established or applied by the court—the one-liner you'll want to remember for exams.
Facts:
- Chelmsford High School students Jason P. Mesiti and Shannon Silva were both fifteen years old.
- The Chelmsford Parent Teacher Organization and school administration arranged for Suzi Landolphi of Hot, Sexy and Safer Productions, Inc. to conduct a mandatory AIDS awareness assembly.
- A Chelmsford School Committee policy required 'positive subscription, with written parental permission' as a prerequisite for instruction in human sexuality.
- The school did not provide parents with advance notice of the program's sexually explicit content or an opportunity to excuse their children from attendance.
- On April 8, 1992, Mesiti and Silva were compelled to attend the 90-minute assembly.
- During the program, Landolphi used profane and lewd language, simulated masturbation, and conducted sexually suggestive skits with student volunteers from the audience.
- The presentation included numerous references to orgasms, genitals, oral sex, and masturbation.
- Mesiti and Silva alleged they were humiliated and intimidated by the program and that other students exhibited overtly sexual behavior in the weeks that followed.
Procedural Posture:
How It Got Here
Understand the case's journey through the courts—who sued whom, what happened at trial, and why it ended up on appeal.
Issue:
Legal Question at Stake
This section breaks down the central legal question the court had to answer, written in plain language so you can quickly grasp what's being decided.
Opinions:
Majority, Concurrences & Dissents
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Analysis:
Why This Case Matters
Get the bigger picture—how this case fits into the legal landscape, its lasting impact, and the key takeaways for your class discussion.
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