Monday, May 21, 2018
#FREESPEECH IN THE NEWS: MAY 21, 2018
by Joseph Brett
As the Citadel of Free Speech here in Cleveland, we work to protect and promote the basis of our democracy by sharing related stories, commentary, and opinions on free speech in the 21st century. Here's what's making the news – and what you should know about – in the past week.
1.) PETA Lawsuit Says Texas University Hid Facebook Comments
Texas A&M University is being sued by The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for alleged hiding of Facebook comments. PETA has had a long running campaign against Texas A&M University for their participation in animal testing.
PETA believes the university infringed on First amendment rights when they recently hid a Facebook comment using the words torture. Texas A&M University is a public institution, and thus a government entity.
The lawsuit comes about as President Trump is also being sued for blocking his opponents on twitter.
2.) Judge tosses Cleveland police officer's retaliation lawsuit against city
A judge in Cleveland recently dismissed a case in which a City of Cleveland police officer filed a lawsuit against the city. Officer Christopher Harper believes that the discriminated against him by suspending him for 30 days as well as transferring him in 2015.
He believes he was discriminated against in retaliation for publicly showing his support for the privatization of the airport security: the beat he worked for 14 years.
U.S District Judge Sara Lioi stated that the officer did not show the suspensions were as a result of retaliation, and his first amendment rights were not infringed upon.
3.) Sandy Hook Families Sue Infowars' Alex Jones for Defamation
Two parents of Sandy Hook victims have sued Alex Jones the host of Infowars for defamation.
Jones has stated several times on his platform that the shootings were fake and staged by the government. These messages and been heard and/or read by millions of his listeners and followers. His accusations have shed light on the legality of his comments.
Jones' show, Infowars, is an online and radio show that spreads right-wing conspiracy theories. His stances have lead to several debates on spreading hate speech and how it is protected by the first amendment. Jones was recently reprimanded by the social media video platform YouTube for spreading false information about the recent school shooting in Florida.
