The U.S. Supreme Court will rule whether a Texas community college can ensure one of its board members for making disruptive statements and leaking confidential information. A lower court found that a censure was merely a statement so did not violate free speech rights. (Scotusblog, April 26, 2021, by Amy Howe)
The board member made anti-gay remarks and expressed his opposition to including sexual orientation in the college’s anti-discrimination policies. The college claimed the censure has been used for centuries going back to the British Parliament and is in Robert’s Rules of order. “Censure provides an elected body with a well-understood tool for repudiating those remarks,” the college said. The board member’s lawyers said he was censured for political speech that should be guaranteed by the First Amendment. (Education Week, April 26, 2021, by Mark Walsh)