Facebook Refuses to Remove Misleading Trump Campaign Ad From Its Platform
The Trump campaign released a new political advertisement that accused presidential candidate Joseph Biden of bribing the Ukranian government while he served as the Vice President under Barack Obama. When the Biden campaign asked Facebook to remove the ad, arguing that it spread demonstrably false information to voters, the social media company refused, citing free speech principles.
Nonprofit Sues University of Illinois Over “Unconstitutional” Student Policies
Speech First, a conservative legal organization, sued the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign over its free speech policies. The group objects to the University’s position on political pamphlets, its bias reporting system, and its no-contact policy for students accused of bias. “On a regular basis, the University of Illinois sends a clear message to students who wish to engage in political and religious speech: there are some views that are welcome, and others that are not," Speech First President Nicole Neily said in a statement. "Students deserve to be able to express themselves and voice their opinions without fear of investigation or punishment – which is why these policies must be reformed.”
As Promised, Trump Signs Contentious Executive Order on Campus Free Speech
President Trump vowed to sign an executive order requiring American colleges and universities to protect free speech on campus, and would withhold federal research funds from schools that don't comply. “Today, I am proud to announce that I will be very soon be signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research funds,” Trump said in his remarks at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, known as CPAC.
BBC Cameraman Shoved By Trump Supporter During Rally In El Paso, Texas
A man in a red “Make America Great Again” hat shoved and yelled at a BBC cameraman during a Trump campaign rally at the El Paso County Coliseum, briefly interrupting […]
Buzzfeed Prevails In Defamation Lawsuit Filed By Russian Executive For Publishing Dossier
A federal judge ruled in Buzzfeed’s favor in a lawsuit brought by Russian technology executive Aleksej Gubarev. Gubarev claimed that he was defamed in a dossier published by Buzzfeed in January 2017 […]
Judge Rules Student May Wear “Donald J. Trump Border Wall Construction Co.” T-shirt
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order that would allow high school senior Addison Barnes to wear a t-shirt that read "Donald J. Trump Border Wall Construction Co." for the remainder of the school year. Barnes lawyers argued that his shirt constituted "pure political speech" and did not disturb or interfere with the school, promote illegal activity or contain obscene or vulgar language.
First Amendment Watch in collaboration with NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New-York Historical Society and the Institute for Constitutional History sponsored a talk for NYC educators by Robert Post, First Amendment scholar and former dean of Yale Law School. The topic, “Free Speech on Campus and Academic Freedom in the Trump Era,” addressed important First Amendment issues facing educators and students. Click through for Facebook Live videos of the event.
Judge Rules Defamation Suit Brought By An Ex-Apprentice Against President Trump Is A Go
The State Court of Appeals refused Trump’s appeal to delay a defamation suit until after his presidency because the lower court has yet to issue a final determination on the […]