First Amendment News

Hollister Mayor Ignacio Velazquez is feeling the heat, accused by Mia Casey of violating the Brown Act by interrupting her while she was criticizing Velazquez for his treatment of the public. FAC’s David Loy said that Velazquez not only violated the Brown Act but also Casey’s right to free speech. (Benito Link, April 1, 2022, by John Chadwell) The Ventura city attorney said five members of the city council violated the Brown Act by discussing

An Ohio appeals court ruled that Oberlin College was on the hook for $25 million in punitive damages and $6 million in legal fees after a shop lifting incident in 2016 resulted in protests and charges of racism against a bakery. (Inside Higher Education, April 4, 2022, by Josh Moody) Several First Amendment groups filed amicus briefs in support of Oberlin and its right to free speech but the appellate court judges said the case

A study of Fox News viewers found that when they watched CNN for 30 days they changed their views on core issues notably COVID-19 and Donald Trump and Republicans. The viewers received more factual information that influenced their thinking. (AlterNet, April 4, 2022, by Alex Henderson) The study by scholars from Berkeley and Yale showed significant changes in stances, with the subjects five percentage points more likely to believe that long COVID is a problem;

The House select committee on the January 6 insurrection is investigating a seven plus hour gap between then President Donald Trump’s phone calls during the attack on the Capitol. (msn.com, March 29, 2022, by Alison Durkee of Forbes) The committee is now trying to find out if Trump used back channels, the phones of aides or disposable phones. They are also concerned there was a coverup of the records from January 6. (The Washington Post,

Even though there is no LGBTQ curriculum in Florida’s schools for kindergarten though grade three, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill forbidding instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for those grades. Called the “Don’t Say Gay” law, the measure prompted fears it would have a chilling effect on Florida classrooms. (The Associated Press, March 128, 2022, by Anthony Izaguirre) Walt Disney Company CEO called for the repeal of the law and said the