California schools have added heft in their anti-bullying campaigns with the legislature passing an amendment allowing public schools to punish students who post threats or abuse of fellow students on social networks. -db From the First Amendment Center, May 29, 2012, by David L. Hudson Jr. Full story
A federal court lowered the boom on the Wayne Local School District in Ohio, ordering them to pay $20,000 in damages to a gay student for banning his T-shirt “Jesus Is Not A Homophobe.” In banning the T-shirt, the principal told the student that the “T-shirt had to do with religion and religion and state have to be separate,” and the T-shirt was “disrupting the educational process.” -db From the Cincinnati CityBeat, May 22, 2012,
Despite recent court victories and widespread editorializing in support of journalists covering protests, the Chicago police were busy at the NATO summit roughing up one journalist, arresting a photographer and grabbing cell phones and erasing footage of an encounter. -db From the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, May 21, 2012, by Emily Miller. Full story
A federal judge ruled that the indefinite detention provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act signed last December most likely violate the First Amendment. The lawsuit against the government was brought by plaintiffs including journalists and activists who feared their expressive activities could find them in violation of vague provisions of the law.-db From a commentary for Salon.com, May 16, 2012, by Glenn Greenwald. Full story
The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals revived a lawsuit brought by a Michigan prison employee who was punished for complaining to lawmakers that prisoners were being coddled by allowing them rap contests. The employee’s suit claimed she was deprived her free speech rights, and the appeals court agreed and remanded the case to the district federal court saying the complaint raised “matters of pubic importance.” -db From the First Amendment Center, May 15, 2012,