Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District

439 U.S. 410 · Decided January 4, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District was decided on January 4, 1979 unanimously (9–0). The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “First Amendment, miscellaneous” in the First Amendment area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1978-025, docket 1978-025-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “First Amendment, miscellaneous”

• Smith v. Arkansas State Highway Employees
  441 U.S. 463Decided April 30, 19797–1Per curiam
• Marchioro v. Chaney
  442 U.S. 191Decided June 4, 19798–0John Paul Stevens
• Smith v. Daily Mail Publishing Co.Law held unconstitutional
  443 U.S. 97Decided June 26, 19798–0Warren E. Burger
• Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation
  438 U.S. 726Decided July 3, 19785–4John Paul Stevens
• Houchins v. Kqed, Inc.
  438 U.S. 1Decided June 26, 19784–3Warren E. Burger
• Landmark Communications, Inc. v. VirginiaLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 829Decided May 1, 19787–0Warren E. Burger

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Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)

• Friedman v. Rogers
  440 U.S. 1Decided February 21, 19797–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Herbert v. Lando
  441 U.S. 153Decided April 18, 19796–3Byron R. White
• Wolston v. Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
  443 U.S. 157Decided June 26, 19798–1William H. Rehnquist
• Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Assn.
  436 U.S. 447Decided May 30, 19788–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Pinkus v. United States
  436 U.S. 293Decided May 23, 19788–1Warren E. Burger
• First National Bank of Boston v. BellottiLaw held unconstitutional
  435 U.S. 765Decided April 26, 19785–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Friedman v. Rogers
  440 U.S. 1Decided February 21, 19797–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Herbert v. Lando
  441 U.S. 153Decided April 18, 19796–3Byron R. White
• Smith v. Arkansas State Highway Employees
  441 U.S. 463Decided April 30, 19797–1Per curiam
• Marchioro v. Chaney
  442 U.S. 191Decided June 4, 19798–0John Paul Stevens
• Smith v. Daily Mail Publishing Co.Law held unconstitutional
  443 U.S. 97Decided June 26, 19798–0Warren E. Burger
• Hutchinson v. Proxmire
  443 U.S. 111Decided June 26, 19798–1Warren E. Burger

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error