First Amendment News

An editorial in the New York Times criticizes a federal appeals court for sanctioning censorship in a Miami elementary school. Critics claimed the district superintendent banned a book on Cuba for its content favorable to the Castro regime. -DB The New York Times February 11, 2009 Editorial Schools are supposed to introduce children to a variety of ideas and viewpoints, but the Miami-Dade School Board decided a few years ago to put one viewpoint off

Two candidates for New York City Council sued arguing that the campaign-finance law violated their First Amendment rights by funding only those candidates who agreed to accept public funding for their campaigns. The judge ruled that there was an overriding need to change the public perception that special interests make contributions to influence political decisions. -DB First Amendment Center Feb. 9, 2009 NEW YORK — A federal judge has tossed part of a lawsuit challenging

A federal judge ruled that a California State University policy regulated conduct, not speech in denying a religious group access to two campuses for requiring students to be Christians and to reject homosexuality. Every Nation Campus Ministries filed suit in 2005 claiming among other things that the policy violated its free speech rights. -DB San Diego Union-Tribune Feb. 7, 2009 By Greg Moran FEDERAL COURT — A federal judge ruled yesterday that a nondiscrimination policy

A spate of lawsuits, a book and concern over anonymous Internet postings are prompting a debate over the balance between the rights and responsibilities of free speech, a San Francisco Chronicle story says. – DR Web 2.0 defamation lawsuits multiply Deborah Gage, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, February 9, 2009 (02-08) 17:04 PST — The Web 2.0 movement, which ushered in an interactive Internet, sought to put power in the hands of the people by tapping

A Florida student sought revenge on her teacher by inviting other students to vent their “feelings of hatred” against the teacher on Facebook. The case centers on the familiar issue of whether speech crosses the line into harassment and disruption or should be protected as legitimate criticism. -DB New York Times Feb. 8, 2009 By Carmen Gentile MIAMI — Katherine Evans said she was frustrated with her English teacher for ignoring her pleas for help