First Amendment
Ohio AG Dave Yost asks U.S. Dept. of Education not to rescind part of religious rule
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Education sent last week asking to keep a rule from the Trump administration requiring public universities to uphold the First Amendment when it comes to religious groups on campuses. The current rule, which the federal education department is trying to get rid […]
Idaho college censors portions of art exhibit for discussing abortion
Artists whose work was scheduled to be displayed at Lewis-Clark State College for an exhibition called “Unconditional Care” say their First Amendment rights were violated after the college censored parts of the show related to abortion. The college, which is located in Lewiston, Idaho, and serves close to 4,000 students, cited Idaho’s No Public Funds […]
Mocking the police got an Ohio man arrested and the Supreme Court won’t define the limits of parody
Can Americans be jailed for making fun of the government? Most would respond with a resounding “No, of course not! The First Amendment protects us from that.” But Anthony Novak learned otherwise in March 2016, after he created and posted a fake version of the Parma, Ohio, Police Department’s Facebook page. He copied the department’s […]
History and media panel weighed in on current First Amendment controversies
In a forum held by the Columbus Metropolitan Club on Wednesday, Mike Thompson moderated a panel discussion with professionals in the media and academic fields about ways that the first amendment is being challenged now and where that leaves the state of journalism in the future. Panelists also contemplated the impact social media platforms have for the spread of misinformation.
Ohio Supreme Court: ‘Targeted picketing’ ban unconstitutional
The Ohio Supreme Court took issue with a ban on “targeted picketing” of public officials in a Tuesday ruling. The court was unanimous in ruling that an education board violated picketers’ rights by putting a stop to public protests, calling Ohio Revised Code language on “encouraging” or organizing a protest at public officials’ homes or […]
Our new Republican activist U.S. Supreme Court is assaulting the separation of church and state
American politicians fear-mongering over moral and religious decline, and advocating for state sponsorship of religion, is as old as the founding of the Republic. The key original battle took place in Virginia between “Give me liberty, or give me death,” Patrick Henry, an astute political opportunist who opposed the U.S. Constitution, and the “Father of […]
When are book bans unconstitutional? A First Amendment scholar explains
The United States has become a nation divided over important issues in K-12 education, including which books students should be able to read in public school. Efforts to ban books from school curricula, remove books from libraries and keep lists of books that some find inappropriate for students are increasing as Americans become more polarized […]
Ohio GOP lawmakers target ‘big tech censorship’
Ohio House Republicans are trying to ban so-called “big tech censorship” within state lines. The move comes as a response to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook suspending or removing the accounts of prominent conservatives who violate their terms of service. Tuesday, opponents of the measure got a chance to speak before the House […]
Law you can use: exercising your right to protest
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” – First Amendment The right to peacefully assemble and join […]
Conservative student groups decry ‘free speech zones,’ university policies
An overflowing group of speakers from religious advocacy groups and conservative-leaning student groups came to support a bill to remove “free speech zones” on college campuses and policies some say don’t allow First Amendment rights. This was the second hearing for Senate Bill 40, dubbed the “Forming Open and Robust University Minds Act,” a Republican-sponsored […]
Ohio teachers union speaks out against religious liberties bill, sponsor decries ‘urban myths’
As Ohio teachers speak out against a “Student Religious Liberties Act” that was passed by the Ohio House, the lead sponsor of the bill is calling out “inaccuracies” given about the bill, which he says have been spread by the media and “misinformed individuals on social media.” House Bill 164 amends certain sections of the […]