First Amendment News

A new legal organization plans to take universities to court for violating students’ free speech rights. Speech First was formed to defend students up against powerful and wealthy universities and differs from other legal defense groups by soliciting members among students, faculty, parents, alums and the general public. (Reason, March 1, 2018, by Robby Soave) Speech First wants to build a “nationwide community” to support students in quest for free speech on campus and emphasizes

When students from Parkland, Florida protested gun laws after 17 were killed in a school shooting at their high school, they were applauded as were, in many instances, other protesting students across the country some of whom even walked out of classes. But similar demonstrations by students of color against gun violence have not received much attention or support. An alliance between black teen-agers and their white counterparts may be in the works. (CityLab, Maarch

When Delta Air Lines ended its business arrangement with the National Rifle Association (NRA) after 17 were killed in the latest school shooting, it wasn’t expecting a government backlash. But Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle stepped up to threaten a break on gas taxes for the airline. Many think the state legislature actions would violate the airline’s  free speech rights. (The New Civil Rights Movement, February 26, 2018, by David Badash) Columnist Mike Lupica said

A St. Louis journalist is suing the city and a number of its police officers for unlawful arrest and assault committed while he was covering a September 2017 peaceful protest march over a police shooting. Even though the reporter Mike Faulk wore his press credentials around his neck, police threw him to the ground, assaulting him further by hitting him with a baton and pepper spraying him. He was charged with failing to disperse. (Courthouse News

With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) electing to operate under a veil of secrecy, lawsuits attacking the agency are proliferating. The lawsuits filed under the Freedom of Information Act seek information on a range of issues including EPA actions and policies on climate change, water rules, pesticides and toxic waste sites. Other cases seek information about schedules and travel records including flights booked in first class by chief administrator Scott Pruitt to avoid run ins