Barred from Participating in Public High School Graduation for Using "Nigger" in a Tweet?
That's the claim in a federal lawsuit, which a federal judge just allowed to go forward.
Free Speech
Young America's Foundation Excommunicates Michelle Malkin for Defending Nick Fuentes
"There is no room in mainstream conservatism or at YAF for holocaust deniers, white nationalists, street brawlers, or racists."
Was Church Excluded from Maryland School Choice Program Because of "Problematic" Views on Marriage?
That's the question in a First Amendment lawsuit, which a federal judge has allowed to go forward.
Police Investigate a High School Student for Making a Joke About Trump
"We’re still doing interviews, speaking with students, learning what was said and the context of the comment."
Andrew Yang Proposes Making Social Media Algorithms Subject to Federal Approval
The presidential hopeful on Thursday released a plan to regulate tech giants.
Court Strikes Down Kentucky's Rejection of IM GOD Vanity Plate
Vanity plates are private speech in a nonpublic forum, the court holds; restrictions on such speech must be viewpoint-neutral and reasonable.
Joe Biden Has Officially Joined the Misguided Crusade Against Online Free Speech
In comments to CNN on Monday night, Biden expressed a willingness to smash Section 230 in order to settle a feud his campaign is having with Facebook. That's a terrible idea.
Can Childhood Sexual Abuse Complaints Be Routinely Temporarily or Permanently Sealed?
And does a Vermont statute mandating such sealing apply in cases that are being litigated in federal court?
Hillary Clinton's 'Russian Asset' Comment About Tulsi Gabbard Was Dumb, Not Defamatory
"Your statement is defamatory, and we demand that you retract it immediately," Gabbard's lawyer wrote in a letter.
The Daily Northwestern Apologizes to Students for Reporting News That Triggered Them
A newspaper staffed by the country's most famous journalism school says it shouldn't have covered a Jeff Sessions event.
Dallas Transit Agency Pays $345,000 to Settle Lawsuit by Photographer Arrested for Taking Pictures
DART police officer Stephanie Branch illegally arrested Avi Adelman after he defied her unlawful orders to stop photographing paramedics treating an overdose.
Right to Advertise Raw Milk
The Kansas Department of Agriculture has agreed that a Kansas statute sharply limiting such advertising violates the First Amendment.
Attempt to Vanish Posts Critical of the Sandy Hook Hoax Libel Judgment
A request under the name of Leonard Pozner -- the plaintiff in that case -- was submitted to Google, asking it to deindex these criticisms (which aren't themselves covered by the judgment).
Free Speech and Government Surveillance
Some interesting words from Justice Douglas.
Court Orders Removal of Libelous Blog Posts About Former DHS Secretary Nominee Bernard Kerik
An interesting analysis, handed down last month
Judge to PragerU: You Do Not Have a Free Speech Claim Against YouTube
Tech bias, real or alleged, does not violate free speech rights.
In Debate Over Political Speech Online, Facebook Has the Constitution on Its Side
As surely as winter follows fall, Republican election victories are followed by unconstitutional attempts to restrict political speech.
Elizabeth Warren Is Lying About Her Own Medicare Plan
Senator can't even accurately represent a plan whose numbers don't remotely add up
"It's OK to Be White" Flyers Lead to Promise of "Severest Disciplinary Action" by Western Conn. State U.
Same for "Islam is right about women" flyer -- both are labeled "hate-filled flyers" by the University, and apparently the police and the FBI are investigating the distribution of the flyers.
College and the First Amendment: Free Speech Rules (Episode 7)
Episode 7 of Free Speech Rules, from UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh
More on Sealing from the Third Circuit
Sealed litigation is a rare exception to American courts' normal rule of public access.
Can't Seal Lawsuit to Protect the Marketability of Your House
Lawsuits are matters of public record -- and you generally can't hide them from prospective business partners, employers, house buyers, or others.
Kentucky Printer Wins Fight To Refuse To Print Pro-LGBT Shirts
But the technical nature of the decision might not stop future lawsuits.
Aaron Sorkin, Mark Zuckerberg Feud Over Political Ads. Here's Why Sorkin's Wrong.
Plus: The ACLU sues the FBI, divorce rates are at 40-year low, and more...
'We Can Fact Check Your Ass,' but Not When It Comes to Political Ads
Twitter has made a bad decision when it comes to banning political ads from its site. They should trust users to decide what is right or wrong.
Twitter's Ban on Political Ads Will Help Incumbent Politicians Maintain Power
Attacks and threats by elected officials lead to inevitable self-censorship.
Federal Judge Orders Georgia Sheriff To Stop Ritualistically Humiliating Registered Sex Offenders on Halloween
Citing the First Amendment, the judge tells the sheriff he may not force certain homes to display signs warning trick-or-treaters to stay away.
Barack Obama Slams Woke Scolds and Hashtag Activism
"This idea of purity and you're never compromised, and you're always politically 'woke,' and all that stuff, you should get over that quickly."
Student Charged With Manslaughter for Texting Boyfriend to 'Go Die'
The 21-year-old faces criminal punishment for text messages to her suicidal boyfriend.
"There's a Rapist in Our School and You Know Who It Is"
A girl in a Maine public high school wrote this on a sticky note in a girls' bathroom; she was suspended for "bullying" a male student who was apparently seen as the target of the message—but a federal judge has stayed the suspension, concluding her speech was probably constitutionally protected.
A Survey Finds Speech Restrictions Are Pretty Popular. That's Why We Need the First Amendment.
Most respondents, especially millennials, favored viewpoint-based censorship, suppression of "hurtful or offensive" speech in certain contexts, and legal penalties for wayward news organizations.
The Belated Approval of a Harm-Reduction Claim for Smokeless Tobacco Highlights the Potentially Deadly Impact of FDA Censorship
The FDA finally has agreed to allow a mild statement about the relative hazards of snus and cigarettes.
Vagueness Challenge to N.H.'s Criminal Libel Statute Can Go Forward
An interesting court opinion, though I think on balance mistaken.
Prosecution Under Criminal Libel Statute Struck Down 30 Years Before Leads to $100,000 Settlement
"[Anne King's ex-husband], [Washington County Sheriff's Department] Captain King, feeling upset and 'disrespected' over the post, contacted Washington County's magistrate court about initiating a criminal complaint against Ms. King."
The Medal of Honor Recipient vs. The Historian, and the Right of Publicity
"The more research Mr. Rigg did for the book, the more discrepancies appeared."
Colorado School Suspends 17-Year-Old After She Posted a Non-Threatening Gun Photo With Her Older Brother
She didn't break the law or threaten anybody, but her school still panicked.
Study: YouTube's Fringe Video Viewers Aren't Passive Zombies
Plus: Cryptocurrency crashes, prison abuse protests in Florida, the death of the center-right, and more...
Congress Asked Mark Zuckerberg a Bunch of Really, Really Stupid Questions at the Libra Hearing
Another show trial for Facebook's beleaguered CEO
Billy Bragg Wants Three-Dimensional Freedom. But Can We Afford That?
In his new manifesto The Three Dimensions of Freedom, the veteran punk rocker calls out libertarians for focusing solely on economic freedom. Is his case worth buying?
The Connecticut Hate Crimes Law Used To Charge Two Idiot College Students Would Ban Family Guy Too
The state's hate crimes law—a "rarely enforced relic dating to 1917"—eviscerates free speech.
If Facebook Can Get Rid of Dick Pics, It Can Stop All Drug Deals Too, Claim Activists
Gutting Section 230 would make it harder to track drug deals, not easier.
Unconstitutional "Racial Ridicule" Prosecution in Connecticut
I have an op-ed about this today in the N.Y. Daily News.
Massachusetts Bill Would Impose $200 Fines, 6 Months in Jail for Using the Word 'Bitch'
The bill is an obvious First Amendment violation says Jim Manley of the Pacific Legal Foundation.
Corporate America Discovers the Limits of Political Posturing as a Marketing Tactic
Defining a company with political branding is risky business.
'Data Portability' Bill Would Risk User Privacy and Crush Social Media Startups
Plus: Court says scraping social media profiles is not hacking, and more...
