University of Maryland Sued for Canceling Student 'Expressive Activity' on October 7
The university caved to pressure to target pro-Palestine events.
Free Speech
Challenge to Nassau County Anti-Mask Ordinance Fizzles, Because …
(1) the particular plaintiffs, who wore masks for health reasons, were excluded from the ordinance's operation, and (2) the risk that officials would misapply the ordinance to them wasn't sufficient to give them preenforcement standing.
ABA Standard 208, Law Schools, and the First Amendment
New guidance makes explicit what should have been clear already: Standard 208 obligates law schools to embrace First Amendment principles.
State Constitution Tool
A great free resource for lawyers, judges, academics, and students doing cross-state constitutional law research.
Mother's Derogating Father to Children Leads Appeals Court to Order That Father Get Custody,
Reversing a trial court decision that awarded custody to mother.
Fired College Security Chief's Libel Claim (Over Allegations That He Mistreated Black Alumnus) Can Go Forward
The court concluded that the Director of Safety and Security at a small private college didn't qualify as a "public official or public figure" for purposes of the state's anti-SLAPP statute.
Court Allows Plaintiff to Proceed Pseudonymously, Without Disclosing Name to Defendant
The court stresses, though, that "The complaint includes no claims brought solely on behalf of Plaintiff Doe," and "Based on the description of the claims, including when and where the alleged vandalism took place and photographs of the vandalism, it appears defendants could adequately defend themselves against the claims without knowing Plaintiff Doe's identity."
Writers and Academics Applaud Brazil's Censorship in Open Letter
The worldwide erosion of support for free speech continues.
No Pseudonymity for Plaintiff Challenging Suspension Under Title IX
So holds the Eleventh Circuit, upholding the district court's decision—but the court's standard of review suggests that the exact oppose district court decision might have been upheld, too.
Drones Face Supreme Court Showdown Over Free Speech Rights
State boards use outdated laws to target content creators, raising urgent questions about free speech in the digital age.
A Texas Reporter Was Arrested for Asking Questions. The State Says That's No Big Deal.
Opposing Priscilla Villarreal's petition for Supreme Court review, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton portrays basic journalism as "incitement."
Is Nostr an Antidote to Social Media Censorship?
What if there was a social media platform owned not by Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, or the Chinese Communist Party, but by everybody and nobody all at once?
"Equity Training" Requirement for Public Employees Didn't Violate First Amendment, Even When …
employees were required to "correctly" answer multiple choice questions based on the training content.
Campus Protest Hypocrisy Reveals Need For Student Education on Free Speech
As Israel-Hamas demonstrations continue in the new school year, the misunderstanding of free speech is fueling disruption and hypocrisy on campuses.
On the Missions of Academic Institutions
As long as academic institutions place social justice goals ahead of truth seeking and knowledge creation, they will lose the respect of the public and will not live up to their potential.
Sixth Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity for State University Officials Who Allegedly Violated Professor's First Amendment Rights
Officials allegedly retaliated against a professor who expressed politically controversial statements about the best treatments for gender dysphoria among youth.
Glenn Greenwald: Why Did Brazil Ban X?
Glenn Greenwald discusses Brazil's ban of X, the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, and the global crackdown on speech on Just Asking Questions.
The First Amendment and the Social Media Dilemma
Social media poses problems far more serious than misinformation campaigns, but solutions consistent with the First Amendment are not clear.
Psych Professor's Lawsuit Over Alleged Contract Nonrenewal Based on Speech About Gender Dysphoria Can Go Forward
Prof. Allan Josephson (formerly of the University of Louisville medical school) claims his contract wasn't renewed because "he expressed his thoughts on treating childhood gender dysphoria during a panel discussion sponsored by a conservative think tank [the Heritage Foundation]."
On the Responsibilities That Come with the Freedom to Speak Freely
The best practitioners of the freedom of speech are those who do not assume that everyone who disagrees with them operates from bad motives.
Court Lets Plaintiff Suing Over "Pro-Hamas Demonstrations at Northwestern" Proceed Pseudonymously
Plaintiff had alleged that being publicly identified would put him at risk of physical harm.
Ruth Shalit Barrett's Defamation Lawsuit Against The Atlantic Survives in Part
The opinion includes some interesting discussion of defamation by implication.
Journal of Free Speech Law: "Speech Regulation and Tobacco Harm Reduction," by Jonathan H. Adler & Jacob James Rich
The final article from the Information as Medicine symposium.
The War on 'Foreign Influence' Has Become a War on the First Amendment
Go after bribes and espionage, but leave mere speech alone.
