The People’s First Amendment: Photojournalist sues police after blinding

Photographer Linda Tirado is suing the Minneapolis police for blinding her in one eye with rubber bullets during the Black Lives Matter protests after the killing of George Floyd in June of 2020. If Tirado prevails in federal court, it would establish a precedent to help journalists suffering police violence. (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, September 3, 2021, by Ari Paul)

A seventh grade North Carolina student lost a First Amendment case to contest her suspension from the volleyball team for posting a Shapchat of herself drinking alcohol off-campus. The judge ruled she was punished for her conduct rather than her speech. (The Free Speech Center, August 23, 2021, by David L. Hudson Jr.)

The Virginia Supreme Court reinstated a P.E. teacher who refused to refer to transgender students by their preferred pronouns. The court said the school district violated the free speech rights of Tanner Cross by suspending him after he explained his position at a school board meeting. (AP News, August 31, 2021)

A Colorado state court ruled against a man sending myriad Facebook messages to a musician. The court ruled that the messages were so graphic that they constituted true threats not protected by the First Amendment. (The Free Speech Center, August 11, 2021, by David L. Hudson Jr.)

The North Dakota Supreme Court also ruled that the First Amendment does not protect a man who sent hundreds of foul phone messages to police officers over his son’s car accident and traffic ticket. The court concluded that the calls were meant to harass and frighten the officers and were not then protected speech. (The Free Speech Center, August 13, 2021, by David L. Hudson Jr.)

A federal judge dismissed a First Amendment lawsuit brought by a San Francisco school board member over her anti-Asian tweets. Her fellow school board voted her out as vice-president and took away her committee assignments. (Courthouse News Service, August 16, 2021, by Dustin Manduffie)

Minnesota farm owners won a preliminary injunction in their fight against the Town of Eagle that they claimed blanketed them with fines and fees after they criticized local officials. (Institute for Justice, August 9, 2021, by Andrew Wimer)