MORE ARTICLES FROM ‘Speech News’
Mo. high court upholds part of e-mail harassment conviction
Man who sent threatening, offensive messages to alderwoman and others fails to persuade court that they amounted to political speech.
N.J. teacher loses appeal of firing for Facebook post
State appeals panel says tenured first-grade teacher’s posting that she was a ‘warden for future criminals’ wasn’t protected by the First Amendment.
Biden seeks video-game industry input on guns
Vice president met yesterday with other representatives from the entertainment industry, including Comcast Corp. and the Motion Picture Association of America.
Facebook post about Newtown shootings leads to charge
ACLU will defend Ohio man who seemed to applaud Connecticut school massacre on the day it occurred.
Mo. jail withholds detainee’s newspaper; he sues
Sheriff ends distribution of local newspapers after inmate’s letter to the editor appears in weekly to which he subscribed.
Federal court dismisses Pa. jail nurse’s retaliation suit
Sherry Anderson had claimed she was fired for complaining about the lack of medical treatment to an inmate who later died, but judge says she spoke as an employee and not a private citizen.
FEC levies $375K fine on Obama ’08 campaign
Fines are among the largest ever for a presidential campaign and stem from a series of missing notices for nearly 1,200 contributions totaling nearly $1.9 million.
High court turns away challenge to campaign-finance rules
Anti-abortion group sought to stop the Federal Election Commission, Justice Department from enforcing fundraising and advertising regulations against it.
N.J. school criticized for counseling kid who drew swastika
Pro-swastika group says school, which has since apologized, subjected a third-grader to ‘traumatic reprimand and racial bias counseling without parental approval.’
Judge halts Tenn. law restricting online sex ads
The Tennessean reports that federal judge agrees with arguments by Backpage.com that the law infringes on freedom of speech.
Utah school officials censor musical with sexy Elvis songs
Administrators reverse decision to cancel upcoming high school production after copyright owners of ‘All Shook Up’ allow them to cut one of Presley’s songs and make scene changes.
Va. high court: Woman doesn’t have to remove online reviews
ACLU official says home contractor’s libel lawsuit against Jane Perez will go forward, but ‘the court cannot suppress her speech in the meantime.’
Texas judge OKs ban on Planned Parenthood funding
Gary Harger says state may exclude otherwise qualified doctors and clinics from receiving state funding if they advocate for abortion rights.
Calif. student suspended for poem about Conn. school massacre
KGO-TV reports girl’s verses included a line that said, ‘I know why he pulled the trigger.’
Mich. woman released after 10 days in jail for cursing
LaRue Ford was charged with contempt after county court clerk heard her use profanity while trying to take care of an old traffic ticket.
The First Amendment Center is an educational organization and cannot provide legal advice.
Ken Paulson is president and chief executive officer of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University and in Washington, D.C. Previously, Paulson served as the editor and senior vice president/news of USA Today.
Gene Policinski, senior vice president and executive director of the First Amendment Center and president and chief operating officer of the Diversity Institute, is a veteran journalist whose career has included work in newspapers, radio, television and online.
John Seigenthaler founded the First Amendment Center in 1991 with the mission of creating national discussion, dialogue and debate about First Amendment rights and values.
Dr. Charles C. Haynes is director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum. He writes and speaks extensively on religious liberty and religion in American public life.
David L. Hudson Jr. is an expert in First Amendment issues who writes for firstamendmentcenter.org and for other publications. Hudson teaches law and was a scholar at the First Amendment Center.
Tiffany Villager is director/First Amendment studies at the First Amendment Center, which she joined in 1993. She also served as the center’s research manager and research coordinator, and developed the center’s library.
