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
Discontinuing A Business Relationship Can Raise First Amendment Concerns
A recent case has made clear that a government agency’s ceasing doing business with a company based on the viewpoints of the company’s owners can lead to First Amendment liability for the agency. Earlier this year, in Riley’s American Heritage Farms v. Elsasser, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (the
Smith Receives a Reprieve as the Supreme Court Turns its Attention to Questions of Compelled Speech
In June 2021, the Supreme Court declined an invitation to overturn Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith, its seminal 1990 case holding that a facially neutral and generally applicable law survives a challenge under the Free Exercise Clause if it is rationally related to a legitimate government interest. However, the
First Amendment Rights During Coronavirus – New Challenges For Government Agencies
Lawyers at our firm have practiced constitutional law for many years, and the coronavirus pandemic has presented circumstances in this area that many of us probably thought we would never see. Under normal principles of First Amendment law, speech in a traditional public forum such as a city park has a high level of protection
Does the First Amendment Apply to Public Agency Social Media Platforms? Three Cases Work Toward an Answer
This post was authored by David Urban.
Cities, counties, special districts, public educators, and other government entities who invite public comment and contribution on their Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, websites, or other spaces on the internet might face liability for violating the First Amendment if they remove content posted by members of the public
Ninth Circuit Issues First Amendment Ruling Applying the Legal Framework Set Forth by the Recent Dahlia Decision
This blog post was authored by Alex Polishuk
On Tuesday, December 3, 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, on the heels of its recent Dahlia v. Rodriguez decision that broadened police officers’ First Amendment rights, issued its ruling in another First Amendment case. In Hagen v. City of Eugene, the
Federal Court Recognizes Unique First Amendment Rights for College Faculty
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the last several weeks decided two important First Amendment cases – Dahlia v. Rodriguez on the rights of peace officers, and Wynar v. Douglas County on the rights of students in high schools.
On September 4, 2013, the Court issued a third important First Amendment