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First Amendment News

New recovery transparency czar promises nonpartisan stance

donal brown July 20, 2009

Head of the new stimulus oversight board says there will be times that information posted on Recovery.gov will embarrass bodies receiving stimulous money but promises to conduct thorough monitoring of spending to prevent waste and fraud. -DB National Journal July 16, 2009 By John Maggs After 10 years as inspector general of the Interior Department, Earl Devaney is on leave to head up the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, an oversight panel set up to put

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Appeals court rules that police officers’ complaints not protected speech

donal brown July 20, 2009

In a split decision, a federal appeals court ruled that officers’ complaints about a superior’s conduct were not a public concern and therefore not protected speech. The dissenting judge said the officers had a right to voice their complaints since they addressed the performance, functioning and mismanagement of a public agency. -DB Metropolitan News-Enterprise July 14, 2009 By Kenneth Ofgang Complaints by police officers about their supervisors’ conduct are not protected by the First Amendment, the

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Judge rules sexual harassment policy violates free speech rights

donal brown July 20, 2009

A federal judge ruled that a Los Angeles City College student could express his views opposing gay marriage and proceed with his suit against the the college for financial damages and a ban on a sexual harassment code. -DB Los Angeles Times July 15, 2009 By Gale Holland Saying it violates students’ free speech rights, a federal judge has barred the Los Angeles Community College District from enforcing a sexual harassment policy that bans “offensive” remarks

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Defense department categorizes lawful protests as ‘low-level terrorism’

firstamendment June 14, 2009

The ACLU is demanding that the Department of Defense change training materials that the ACLU says equates activism with terrorism. –DB American Civil Liberties Union Press Release June 10, 2009 Anti-terrorism training materials currently being used by the Department of Defense (DoD) teach its personnel that free expression in the form of public protests should be regarded as “low level terrorism.” ACLU attorneys are calling the approach “an egregious insult to constitutional values” and have

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Coastal Commission serves subpoena on filmmaker

firstamendment June 14, 2009

Concerned about a documentary film critical of their policies, the California Costal Commission has taken the unusual step of serving a subpoena for a copy of the work in progress, a move that critics say chills freedom of expression. –DB CalAware June 11, 2009 FREE PRESS—The California Coastal Commission has served a subpoena on documentary filmmaker Richard Oshen for a copy of his unreleased work, “Sins of Commission,” a move which he fears may be

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