Street Artist Files Lawsuit Against the NYPD Following Mural Removal
On June 1st, a street artist filed a lawsuit against the NYPD and the city of New York after one of his murals was covered up during a graffiti clean up campaign. The artist claims his free speech rights were violated.
Pennsylvania Police Chief Resigns After Threatening Facebook Critic with Arrest
A police chief in Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights violation for threatening to arrest a private citizen unless he removed Facebook posts that criticized the chief. According to a document obtained by The New York Times, Buglio pled guilty on May 25th to “one count of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and agreed to resign from his position within 10 days of his plea agreement."
Confederate heritage supporters who sued the city of Lakeland, Florida for removing a Confederate monument, lost their free-speech challenge because a federal appeals court ruled that the monuments are a form of government speech, and as such, are immune from First Amendment review.
The Arizona state legislature continues to consider a bill that would drastically curtail LGBTQ-themed education and discussion in the state’s K-12 schools. Despite already being vetoed once by Governor Doug Ducey due to its obvious First Amendment problems, the proposed law has been brought back by its legislative sponsor. If passed, the law would squelch important and timely expression in educational institutions throughout the state.
Journalist Sues New Mexico Sheriff’s Office Over Alleged Retaliation
On May 26th, New Mexico journalist Tabitha Clay filed a lawsuit against the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office. Clay claims local law enforcement violated her First Amendment rights by allegedly retaliating against her and withholding information after she wrote an article in May of 2019 detailing a sheriff’s deputy’s deployment of a taser on a 15-year-old special education student.
Oklahoma Community College Cancels Course on Race and Ethnicity Due to New Law
The college canceled the class due to concerns that it might conflict with a new law that prohibits public schools from having certain kinds of conversations about race and gender. Idaho, Rhode Island, Iowa, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, and West Virginia have all introduced similar legislation restricting public schools from teaching "divisive" concepts.
Teacher Guide: Does the First Amendment Allow the Government to Censor Art?
For much of our nation’s history, the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech did not clearly protect art from government censorship. Over the course of the 20th century, however, courts gradually extended speech protections to a broader range of artistic expression, including film, dance, theater, and fine arts. Today, public officials can censor art only in limited circumstances. What are those circumstances, and what protection does the First Amendment provide?
Federal Court Ruling Invalidates Georgia’s Anti-BDS Law on First Amendment Grounds
A federal judge’s recent decision on Georgia’s law against the “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions” (BDS) movement signals a win for the First Amendment and for the right to protest peacefully.