Social media sites have become the new “public square” where individuals share opinions and information about all types of political and societal events. Public sector employees, as much as anyone else, use social media to post viewpoints and to participate in public debate. Problems arise, however, when a public employee posts harsh, derogatory, defamatory, or
"constitutional protection"
A “Like” on Facebook is Protected Speech Under the First Amendment
By Morin Jacob on
Posted in First Amendment, Public Safety Issues
“Liking” something on Facebook is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in Bland et al. v. Roberts, Appeal Number 12-1671, on September 18, 2013. In doing so, the Court sided with three of six former deputy sheriffs in Virginia who sued for free speech violations…