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California: Proposed Trinity County citizen advisory committee subject to open meeting laws

donal brown March 29, 2012

The Trinity County sheriff wants to establish a volunteer citizens’ advisory committee to review how actions of federal and state authorities affect public health and safety. The county is over 70 percent federal land. Because the committee would report to the sheriff who would relay the findings to the county board of supervisors, the committee would comply with the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law. -db From The Trinity Journal, March 28, 2012, by

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North Carolina college bans student from graduation for negative Facebook post

donal brown June 6, 2011

Saint Augustine’s college has banned a student from graduation ceremonies after the student posted comments on Facebook critical about how the college was handling its recovery from a tornado. FIRE claims that in the absence of a policy sanctioning the punishment, the college improvised by declaring that a Facebook post challenging their decisions could keep a student from graduation ceremonies. The college said students had an obligation to protect the reputation of the college. -db

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Federal court affirms greater speech freedom for college students

donal brown August 23, 2010

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a university’s strict speech codes, and in so doing made a distinction between university standards and standards limiting speech in high schools and elementary schools in recognition that adults in universities should enjoy the freedom to engage in unfettered debate and discourse. -db FIRE Commentary August 20, 2010 Posted by Erica Goldberg On Wednesday, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling reaffirming that greater speech

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Mississippi community college punishes student for swearing outside of class

donal brown May 18, 2010

Free speech advocates say community college exceeded its authority in policing vulgarity. -db FIRE May 18, 2010 JACKSON, Miss.— Mississippi’s largest community college unconstitutionally bans “cursing and vulgarity” and has barred a student from a course for swearing outside of class. After Hinds Community College (HCC) student Isaac Rosenbloom was forbidden to return to class and given twelve “demerits,” he turned to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help. “It is quite

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Rights groups question new free speech policy at California college

donal brown May 13, 2010

FIRE and ACLU of San Diego have objected to a new policy at Southwestern College in San Diego that restricts peaceful protesters on campus to a “free speech zone.”-db FIRE Commentary May 13, 2010 SAN DIEGO – Southwestern College (SWC) limits free expression on its California campus to a single “free speech patio” and has proposed a new policy that unconstitutionally restricts expression, according to letters released today by the Foundation for Individual Rights in

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