Idaho Legislature Continues to Threaten Free Speech, Academic Freedom at State’s Public Universities
Controversy at the state legislative level in Idaho, regarding what may or may not be taught at the state’s public universities, presents an ongoing threat to free speech and academic freedom. It is also one of many recent instances nationwide where state legislatures have intruded upon institutional academic freedom as well as the individual rights of faculty members.
Justice Gorsuch Questions the Reduction of Parental Control in Cheerleader Case
A key argument advanced in Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. over the frustrated cheerleader kicked off her squad for an off-campus social media post concerns that of parental rights. Brandi Levy vented her frustration at not making the varsity squad with a string of “f-bombs”on Snapchat. She made her now infamous post on a Saturday outside a convenience store with a friend.
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Candidate Files Defamation Lawsuit Concerning Anonymous Text Message
On May 4th, a candidate seeking the Republican nomination for Virginia Lieutenant Governor filed a defamation lawsuit against “Jane Doe,” after an anonymous text message was sent to convention delegates calling him a “gay Democrat.”
Wisconsin Public Schools Can Prohibit Students From Wearing Shirts with Guns, Judge Rules
A federal court ruled that two Wisconsin public schools that banned students from wearing clothing with depictions of firearms did not violate students' First Amendment rights. The decision to side with the school came as an unpleasant surprise to free speech scholars who thought the schools’ dress code policies were overly restrictive.
Akhil Reed Amar: “The Words that Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840”
In his newest book, The Words that Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation 1760-1840, Yale law professor and constitutional historian Akhil Reed Amar tells the story of the first 80 years of democratic debate in the United States. This excerpt focuses on the origins of America’s newspaper culture and the central role it played in forming our democracy.
Sixth Circuit Moots Memphis Journalist’s First Amendment Case
On April 30th, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a lower court’s determination of mootness concerning a local journalist’s claims against the city of Memphis.
Can a Public Body Censure Its Members Without Raising First Amendment Concerns?
A public body censures one of its members who had been criticizing the body, filing lawsuits against the body, and accusing the body of not complying with state law. The public body then censures the member. The member claims that the censure was a retaliatory act against his critical speech. This scenario forms the basis of the case, Houston Community College System v. Wilson, that the Supreme Court will review this term.
Project Veritas Sues CNN for Defamation
Project Veritas, a conservative organization known for surreptitiously recording its subjects, filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN on April 26th. The lawsuit alleges that news anchor Ana Cabrera defamed the company during a broadcast on February 15th. Project Veritas claims Cabrera falsely suggested on air that the organization’s Twitter account was suspended for “promoting misinformation.”