Federal appeals court hands censorship tool to public colleges

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals extended the Supreme Court ruling known as Hazelwood to public colleges and universities while ruling on a case over the expulsion of a student in a counseling program at Eastern Michigan University. Hazelwood allows school administrators to censor student expression on the grounds of “legitimate pedagogical concerns.” -db [...]

Group sues over ban of anti-abortion display in Wyoming state legislature

An anti-abortion group is asking for a injunction in federal court to prevent the state from blocking an anti-abortion display in a corridor linking the Capitol Building to a parking garage. The group, WyWatch Family Action, said other groups had put up displays, and they were only asking for equal treatment. -db From the Casper [...]

Court rules no free speech violation in denying funds for campus religious groups

A federal appeals court ruled that the California State University system did not have to fund religious student groups that exclude members of other religions. The ruling was handed down in a suit brought by a Christian  sorority and Christian fraternity at San Diego State who excluded gays and non-Christians. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court [...]

Oregon: Conservative college newspaper likely to lose free press case

Unable to pinpoint responsibility for an “unwritten” policy  that resulted in the dumping of Liberty, a conservative newspaper at Oregon State University, the newspaper editors seem likely to lose their bid for compensatory damages. After the incident, the university changed their policy to allow equal access on campus to all newspapers. A federal district court [...]

Free speech: Los Angeles student allowed to sing Christian song at school function

Press-Telegram February 2, 2011 By Connie Llanos A federal court backed a Los Angeles elementary school student in his quest to perform a Christian song at a school talent show. The Parent Teachers Association had banned the song, but the boys’ backers said that singing the song would not violate church-state separation since the boy [...]

Illinois: School district settles dispute with student wearing anti-gay T-shirt

The Indian Prairie School District is considering changes to its dress code to settle a lawsuit brought by a student forced to change wording of a T-shirt that read, “Be Happy, Not Gay.” -db Student Press Law Center October 7, 2010 By Chelsea Keenan ILLINOIS — The Indian Prairie School District may amend its dress [...]

Federal court finds fault with Pittsburgh law creating abortion clinic buffers

Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune November 2, 2009 By Joe Mandak Associated Press The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a 2005 Pittsburgh ordinance denied free speech rights to abortion protestors by enforcing two restrictive zones outside abortion clinics. The court said that one zone would be legal but the two together constituted a denial of [...]