The Fight For The Students Right: Why Board of Education Of the Westside Community Schools v. Bridget Mergens remains significant. 

In 1985, A teenager named Bridget Mergens tried to start a christian bible club at her high school in Omaha, Nebraska. When her request was denied, she took action - events later resulting in a groundbreaking supreme court case that pushed the boundaries of establishing order versus protecting liberty. 

June of 1990, five years after Bridget tried to start the Bible study club, the Supreme Court upheld high school students’ rights to have the same access for their faith-based extracurricular clubs as that granted to other student groups. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote, “High school students are mature enough and are likely to understand that a school does not endorse or support student speech that it merely permits on a nondiscriminatory basis.” 

Mergens today is remembered as an inspiration, who helped other students fight for their rights and secure liberties. Bridget’s story is not an original one, her ending however, is. Why? She harnessed the power of the American judicial system to realize her goals.
Today, we can take away a few things from the Supreme Court case Board of Education Of the Westside Community Schools v. Bridget Mergens. The first thing is to use tactics effectively in the political process. Mergens, only a teenager during the lawsuit, reached out to the National Legal foundation to represent and help her. The American Civil Liberties Union is another example of an organization that can greatly influence the political process. The second thing mergens did to set by example, was basing her claims in a federal law that supported her argument. Mergens rooted her lawsuit in the Equal Access Act of 1984, whose main intent was to restrict the ability of public high schools to exclude religious extracurricular clubs. Lastly, Bridget challenged School Policy. This action demonstrated her willingness to stand up against what she believed was a violation of her rights.

Bridget Mergens' willingness to take a stand for her beliefs and her determination to fight for her rights served as an inspiration to others who may face similar challenges in asserting their constitutional rights in public schools. Moreover, the case's historical significance helps raise awareness among students about their rights and the importance of civic engagement. It encourages them to become informed citizens who understand the Constitution and its protections.