Lawyer Who Frequently Represents Devin Nunes is Sanctioned for Filing Frivolous Defamation Suit
On May 4th, a federal judge in Maryland sanctioned Representative Devin Nunes’s longtime attorney, Steve Biss, for filing a “frivolous” defamation lawsuit against CNN.
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.
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.
Justices Question Whether Student’s Snapchat Rant Caused a Substantial Disruption
In oral arguments on April 28th in a case involving a former high school student kicked off her cheerleading squad for a profane social media post, the Court explored whether school officials could discipline the student under the Supreme Court’s decision in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969).
The Supreme Court Case That Could Define the Next Era of Student Speech Rights
On Wednesday, April 28th, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a student speech case, Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. We compiled basic information about the facts of the case, the legal questions at issue, and what experts are saying about it.
Iowa Supreme Court Finds Facebook Comments About Landlord to Be Protected Rhetorical Hyperbole
An individual’s Facebook post accusing an apartment manager of being a “slumlord” was protected rhetorical hyperbole rather than a false statement of fact, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled on April 16th in Bauer v. Brinkman.
MyPillow CEO Sues Dominion Voting Systems for $1.6 Billion
On April 19th, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell filed a suit accusing Dominion Voting Systems of violating his First Amendment rights for filing a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against him. Lindell accuses Dominion of engaging in an “illegal campaign to punish and silence their critics.”