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Hi John,
“Little more than a ruse.”
That’s what a federal judge had to say about Oklahoma state officials’ justification for excluding KFOR-TV journalists and Institute for Free Speech clients from reporting on their Board of Education meetings.
The court documents said the motivation in barring reporters from Oklahoma’s oldest TV station “appears largely motivated by the viewpoint of KFOR's publications.”
In other words, state superintendent Ryan Walters didn’t like the coverage he was getting—and his staff even physically blocked a KFOR reporter from entering press conferences.
But last month, it was Walters who was restrained—by a federal judge’s Temporary Restraining Order—allowing journalists to exercise their First Amendment press rights while the case proceeds!
And earlier last month, Board of Education officials in New York City got a similar response—a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in favor of our clients—three local parents and school board members.
One was even removed from her elected position—until this ruling ordered the City to reinstate her. The judge also barred enforcement of unconstitutional speech policies and protected the parents’ right to speak freely at council meetings and on social media.
Educational bureaucrats in Oklahoma, New York City, or elsewhere in our country don’t have the right to censor dissenting opinions. The Founding Fathers didn’t create the First Amendment to protect citizens from agreement.
If you agree, please make a tax-deductible contribution today to support our work so we can keep fighting for these and our other clients in court.
In Liberty,
David Keating
President, Institute for Free Speech
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