The City Club of Cleveland

login Create an Account

private events
go

Not a Member?

Our members are champions of free speech. Join today!

join

Account Login

login

Forgot Password? Create an Account

Forgot Password

submit Cancel

Update Password

submit

blog

Want to know what is on our minds? Find blog posts written here, by the City Club staff, members, and partners. Every week you can find a new edition of #FreeSpeech in the News — a collection of related stories, commentary, and opinions on free speech in the 21st century that’s making the news. You’ll also find takes on current events, past forums, and issues surrounding Northeast Ohio. Read on for all things City Club.

« back to blog list

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

#FREESPEECH in the News: February 18, 2020

Bliss Davis, Content and Programming Coordinator, The City Club of Cleveland

#FREESPEECH in the News: February 18, 2020

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.) How Hare Krishnas led to the 'Free speech booth' at the St. Louis airport

Tucked near a rarely used escalator in Terminal 1 at St. Louis Lambert International Airport is a blue sign that hangs over a nondescript stand announcing in all caps the spot’s purpose: FREE SPEECH BOOTH.

Underneath the sign on a recent morning sat Gregory Brown, 66, and Charles Ryskamp, 70, calling out to travelers and asking for donations in exchange for books about their Hare Krishna beliefs. Most passed without a second look.

The two men sit at this booth, on stools they bring themselves, six or seven days a week. For decades they’ve spent hours each day trying to entice people over to their selection of books on topics like yoga and reincarnation, taking advantage of an airport program that offers just about anyone a soapbox to proselytize, protest or raise money for a nonprofit.

2.) Ex-West New York DPW worker representing himself in federal free speech retaliation suit

Alex Navas, a former employee of the West New York Department of Public Works, is representing himself in a federal free speech retaliation suit alleging that he was terminated after speaking to reporters from Univision over two years ago.

The suit, filed in New Jersey U.S. District Court on September 4th, 2019 and amended on January 29th of this year, Navas says he was fired shortly after being issued two, 30-day suspensions that ended on our about September 5th, 2017. According to the suit, he was let go from his municipal job after refusing to sign a letter demoting him from a sanitation inspector to a laborer I position. He claims “misconduct” continued after it was revealed he did an interview with Univision in early 2018.

The three-count suit says that he was a victim of free speech retaliation, as well as that the Town of West New York violated “public policy under the New Jersey constitution.”

3.) ACLU asks Alaska Supreme Court to extend free speech rights to shareholders in Native corporation board elections

The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska says the state’s financial regulator is chilling voices critical of Native corporations. Now, the Alaska Supreme Court is set to hear a legal challenge that could decide how much power the state has to police shareholders’ speech.

The Nome Nugget‘s editor Diana Haecker has worked at the paper since 2003. She received a letter to the editor in early 2017 about Sitnasuak Native Corporation’s upcoming board elections. It wasn’t an endorsement of any one candidate, the newspaper — as a rule — doesn’t print those. Instead, this letter criticized the election process which has been the subject of ongoing controversy and even lawsuits.

After receiving a complaint from a member of the Native corporation’s board, the state investigated and fined letter writer Austin Ahmasuk $1,500 and ordered him not to do it again.

Please login to post a comment

Want to know who is speaking next at the City Club? Sign up here.

Slice 1 Created with Sketch.

Our New Address

1317 Euclid Avenue, Suite 100
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

The City Club of Cleveland building
x

Photo Gallery

1 of 22