First Amendment News

Parler, the social media outlet that markets itself on the promise of wide open expression, informed Congress that it has warned the FBI about violent content on its platform. It said it removed incitement and threats of violence before the January 6 assault on the Capitol. Many users were furious with the admission. (Ars Technica, March 29, 2021, by Kate Cox) Parler responded to its critics by reminding them that the First Amendment does not

In “successfully” clearing 200 homeless people from Echo Park lake in Los Angeles, police arrested over 180 people including legal observers and journalists. The city took action to begin a restoration project in the area and claimed to have placed 209 homeless people from the area in transitional housing with support services. (ABC7, March 28, 2021) The Los Angeles Times, Spectrum News and Knock LA had journalists detained or arrested. (The Wrap, March 26, 2021,

Setting aside First Amendment protections, a federal appeals court ruled that Denver police officers had qualified immunity in attempting to delete a citizen’s video of an arrest. Qualified immunity shields the police “from civil suits unless a previous court precedent outlines a case with almost exactly the same factual circumstances.” In practice the law allows police and other government agents to escape responsibility for irresponsible actions. (Reason, March 30, 2021, by Billy Binion) For related

The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that a Christian professor can pursue his First Amendment lawsuit against his university for disciplining him for refusing to call a transgender student by her preferred pronouns. The three- judge panel rested their ruling on academic freedom. (Courthouse News Service, March 26, 2021, by Kevin Koeninger) The appeals court found that Garcetti v. Ceballos, a Supreme Court ruling that held that government employee speech made at work

More than their male colleagues, women journalists are suffering from online harassment including rape and death threats. They say they routinely receive messages with sexist slurs and comments on their appearances. These attacks have a cumulative effect on the journalists resulting in real trauma. (The Hill, March 24, 2021, by Alex Gangitano and Julia Manchester) Newsroom editors are faced with the difficulty of defending their female journalists especially those covering politics and technology. The New