Free speech: Marin County restores nude painting to art show

After removing a nude painting from an art show because an employee said it created “a hostile work environment”, Marin County officials restored the painting saying that the artist’s rights to free expression prevailed over the employee’s rights in the workplace. National First amendment organizations had told the county that it had violated the First [...]

Arizona: Questions arise over city liability for employees’ online posts

Police employees in Surprise, Arizona are asking the city to stop other police officers from posting anonymous comments on private websites that they say are potentially defamatory. -db The Arizona Republic October 9, 2010 By D.S. Woodfill and Lisa Halverstadt A controversy brewing in Surprise is raising questions about a city’s liability when its employees [...]

Federal court rules professor’s racially offensive e-mails protected by First Amendment

A panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an Arizona community college was not required to curtail a professor’s racially charged e-mails that some said created a hostile work environment since the content of the e-mails caused the furor. The Court said the e-mails, while offensive to colleagues, were protected by the [...]

No light shines on harassment settlements in California legislature

The California State Assembly and Senate have paid significant sums of money to settle harassment cases in the workplace but a 1968 open-records law keeps the details of the cases secret. -DB Los Angeles Times July 16, 2009 By Patrick McGreevy Reporting from Sacramento—State Senate officials have secretly approved a $70,000 legal settlement that prohibits a [...]