Monday, June 21, 2021
#FREESPEECH in the News April 21, 2021
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. Sheriff's office agrees to policy changes and free speech training after jailing activist
Kitsap County sheriff’s deputies and criminal prosecutors agreed to take free speech training, and make policy changes, as part of a settlement with a Kingston activist jailed on the Fourth of July 2019 for refusing to remove signs he was holding in a public park.
The county and the Port of Kingston also paid Robin Hordon, 73, a total of $400,000 — $250,000 from the county and $150,000 from the port — after he alleged a host of constitutional rights violations in a U.S. District Court lawsuit over being twice jailed, held on “excessive” bail and “forever” banished from the park at the port, according to the settlement agreement finalized last month.
In addition to the First Amendment training, the county agreed to institute a schedule for setting bail — to prevent deputies from setting disproportionately high bail when they book a suspect into the Kitsap County Jail — and revise its trespass policy to allow a person to appeal their banishment.
2. BC professors allege free speech violations in lawsuit against college district
Two Bakersfield College history professors are suing the Kern Community College District for allegedly violating their right to free speech. The suit filed by Matthew Garrett and Erin Miller says the district bowed to pressure from other faculty members in threatening them with disciplinary action, including termination, following an investigation into comments made at a public lecture in 2019.
It names as defendants former district Chancellor Thomas J. Burke and general counsel Christopher W. Hine. The latter ordered an investigation into the professors’ comments regarding the use of grant funds and signed “administrative determinations” disciplining them, according to the suit filed in federal court in Fresno.
In April 2019, stickers that said “smash cultural Marxism” and other right-of-center viewpoints were anonymously posted around the Bakersfield College campus and were removed by campus authorities. The incident stirred a heated debate. Students and faculty associated with the Social Justice Institute called the stickers “racist” and “vandalism” while Garrett questioned whether the stickers were a protest against the use of taxpayer funds to advance a one-sided political agenda, according to the suit. It says Garrett and Miller were accused of enabling white supremacism.
3. Ohio’s Jim Jordan creates new Congressional caucus to protect free speech on college campuses
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan says he’s ready to take on “woke” culture on college campuses.
Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, says he’s starting the Campus Free Speech Caucus with freshman Congresswoman Kat Cammack of Florida and the Young America’s Foundation, whose top officials include former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Vice President Mike Pence.
In a statement released by the youth organization, Jordan said the new caucus “will work with Congress to push back on ‘woke’ cancel culture and defend freedom for Americans everywhere.”
