Free Speech
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 […]
Freedom of speech is under attack in public schools, U.S. House panel told
Students and teachers told U.S. House members during a Thursday hearing that their right to talk about race and LGBTQ+ issues in public schools is being silenced due to an onslaught of new state laws as well as pressure on school boards from right-wing advocates. “To be crystal clear, this is about disrupting and destroying […]
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 […]
More than 1,500 books have been banned in public schools, and a U.S. House panel asks why
A U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee panel last week examined why thousands of books, predominantly written by marginalized authors, have been banned from public schools, and the impact of those actions on students and teachers. “Most books being targeted for censorship are books that introduce ideas about diversity or our common humanity, books that […]
Higher ed access, speech on campus bill moves on for House review
A bill seeking to address financial barriers and access to higher education, along with speech on campuses, is now headed for House review after the Ohio Senate passed it nearly unanimously. In a 31-2 vote, Senate Bill 135 cleared one chamber of the Ohio legislature, pressing forward new rules for student debt transparency and a […]
Community colleges praise ‘second chance’ program in Senate Bill, decry ‘free speech’ provisions
Supporters of a bill with free speech issues in its title focused more on the financial provisions the bill makes toward Ohio’s community colleges and career technical institutions. The bill’s Second Chance Voucher Program was talked about most during a Tuesday hearing on the bill, which members of the Ohio Association for Career Technical Education […]
Activists say enhanced protest punishments will lead to more police misconduct
Police already have been overly aggressive in this year’s civil rights protests, some protesters say. If Ohio adopts enhanced penalties related to protests, that will only aggravate the problem, they say. Worse, according to the activists, the bill’s provision allowing deadly force by people who feel threatened during “riots” will only encourage people to go […]
Jobs in Ohio cities, free speech on college campuses, and History Thursday on impeachment
Each day in our newsletter, we are highlighting stories and commentary from other media big and small throughout Ohio and the nation. If you’d like to get this feature directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletter here. Catching Our Eye: History Thursday. Did you know that Steubenville’s Edwin Stanton, Lancaster’s William Tecumseh Sherman, […]