This is the Daily Media Update published by the Institute for Free Speech. For press inquiries, please contact Luke Wachob at [email protected].  

Jonathan Turley: “Some are More Equal Than Others”: University of Oregon Sued After Blocking Professor Who Posted “All Men are Created Equal”

.....There is an interesting lawsuit filed against the University of Oregon after Portland State University Professor Bruce Gilley was blocked from a social media account. Gilley claims that he was blocked after he tweeted “all men are created equal.” The lawsuit names Tova Stabin, communication manager for the university’s Division of Equity and Inclusion, as the sole defendant. Gilley may believe that “all men are equal” but the censoring of his post suggests that, as in Orwell’s Animal Farm, “some are more equal than others” at the University of Oregon.

The Lars Larson Show (audio): Angus Lee- Should a gov school be able to block people on Twitter because of their point of view?

.....Ed. note: Attorney Angus Lee of Angus Lee Law Firm, PLLC, speaks to Lars Larson about Professor Gilley's lawsuit against the University of Oregon. Gilley is represented by Lee and the Institute for Free Speech.

.....The Institute for Free Speech is pleased to welcome Stephanie Brown as our newest First Amendment Fellow. Over the next year, Stephanie will work alongside our attorneys on all aspects of trial and appellate litigation in cases challenging restrictions on Americans’ First Amendment rights to speak, publish, assemble, and petition the government...

Law & Crime:  Justice Kavanaugh’s Protege on D.C. Circuit Issues First Amendment Ruling in Favor of Federal Judicial Branch Agency Employees

.....A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., struck a blow for the First Amendment in a Tuesday opinion by a conservative judge — and noted protégé of Justice Brett Kavanaugh — appointed to two separate benches by former President Donald Trump.

U.S. Circuit Judge Justin R. Walker penned the majority opinion in the case stylized as Guffey v. Mauskopf, which concerns two women who work for the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Lisa Guffey and Christine Smith. Specifically, the case concerns what they do during non-work hours.

NorthJersey.com: Federal judge upholds buffer zones in front of Englewood abortion clinic

.....A protest-free buffer zone that surrounds an abortion clinic in Englewood has been deemed constitutional after years of litigation.

Carolina Journal: Judge denies Stein’s latest request to block potential prosecution for campaign lies

.....U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles has denied N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein’s latest request in his lawsuit challenging a state law against campaign lies. Eagles will not block her earlier ruling against Stein while he continues his appeals.

Stein contends that the law violates First Amendment free-speech rights. He is asking federal courts to block Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman from pursuing criminal charges in connection with the law.

“There is case law tending to support the plaintiffs’ arguments that [the state law] on its face violates the First Amendment,” Eagles wrote in an order issued Monday. “Two circuit courts and one state Supreme Court have held similar statutes violate the First Amendment. Upon initial review in an emergency context, the Court held that the plaintiffs made a sufficient showing for a temporary restraining order.

Axios: Study: What Americans really think

By Stef W. Kight and Margaret Talev

....."Self-silencing" — people saying what they think others want to hear rather than what truly feel — is skewing our understanding of how Americans really feel about abortion, COVID-19 precautions, what children are taught in school and other hot-button issues, a new study finds.

The best predictor of private behavior is private opinion. People's actual views are far more likely than their stated views to drive consumer and social behavior — and voting.

Washington Times: Meta to stop all new political advertising in final week before 2022 midterms

.....Meta said Tuesday it has begun preparing for the midterm elections, including by fighting White supremacists’ interference and by planning to halt political ads in the final week before the November elections.

“Our teams fight both foreign interference and domestic influence operations, and have exposed and disrupted dozens of networks that have attempted to interfere with U.S. elections,” Mr. Clegg wrote on Meta’s blog. “We’ve banned more than 270 white supremacist organizations, and removed 2.5 million pieces of content tied to organized hate globally in the first quarter of 2022.”

Colorado Politics: Colorado Secretary of State considers new rules to implement campaign contribution limits

.....The Colorado Secretary of State began considering new campaign finance regulations on Monday, issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking and scheduling a public hearing. 

The potential changes stem from two bills passed during this year’s legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis: House Bill 1060, which caps contribution amounts made to school board candidates, and House Bill 1156, which updates reporting requirements for public officials.

Reason ("Volokh Conspiracy"): Letter to Employer Calling Employee's Outside Actions "Racist" Is Constitutionally Protected Opinion

.....From today's opinion of the Delaware Supreme Court in Cousins v. Goodier, written by Justice Gary Traynor:

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