In Shurtleff v. City of Boston the U.S. Supreme Court held unanimously that Boston’s refusal to fly a Christian flag on a flagpole outside city hall violated the First Amendment.
Continue readingStates and Local Governments Win SCOTUS Sign Case
In City of Austin, Texas v. Reagan National Advertising the U.S. Supreme Court held 6-3 that strict (fatal) scrutiny doesn’t apply to Austin allowing on-premises but not off-premises signs to be digitized.
Continue readingSLLC Files Supreme Court Brief in Praying High School Football Coach Case
In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, former assistant football coach Joseph Kennedy and the school district disagree over precisely why he was put on administrative leave. According to Kennedy, he wanted to say a “brief, quiet prayer by himself while at school and visible to students.” According to the school district, “Kennedy made a spectacle of delivering midfield prayers at the immediate conclusion of games and insisted that students must be allowed to join.” The State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) amicus brief argues the First Amendment doesn’t protect Kennedy’s speech.
Continue readingSupreme Court Holds Censures Don’t Violate the First Amendment
unity College v. Wilson, the U.S. Supreme Court held that when a government board censures a member it doesn’t violate the First Amendment.
Continue readingJudge Brown Jackson and States and Local Governments
It is challenging to predict how Judge Brown Jackson might rule on issues of importance to states and local governments as a Supreme Court Justice.
Continue readingSupreme Court to Decide Case Involving Free Speech and a Non-Discrimination Statute
In 303 Creative v. Elenis the U.S. Supreme will decide whether applying a public-accommodation law to compel an artist to speak or stay silent violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.
Continue readingSupreme Court to Decide Praying High School Football Coach Case
he U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the First Amendment protects a high school football coach who, joined by students, prayed after football games.
Continue readingSupreme Court to Decide First Amendment Billboard Case
The City of Austin allows on-premises billboards to be digitized but not off-premises billboards. In City of Austin, Texas v. Reagan National Advertising of Texas Inc. two outdoor advertising companies claim that this distinction is “content-based” under the First Amendment. The City of Austin disagrees.
Continue readingStudent Wins SCOTUS Off-Campus Free Speech Case
In Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., the U.S. Supreme Court held 8-1 that a public school could not discipline a student who transmitted to her Snapchat friends, outside of school hours and away from the school’s campus, vulgar language and gestures criticizing the school and the school’s cheerleading team.
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