Brooks v. Arthur Two Virginia correctional officers cannot sue for alleged unlawful firing for exercise of their First Amendment free-speech rights; the 4th Circuit says complaints about an employee’s own duties pursued through an internal grievance procedure do not relate to a matter of public concern.

Tagged with: Constitutional Free Speech Labor & Employment Public Employees

Centro Tepeyac v. Montgomery County, Md. A Maryland limited-services pregnancy services center wins an injunction against enforcement of a local ordinance that would require it to post a sign saying it did not have a “licensed medical professional on staff”; the 4th Circuit reverses the district court’s denial of an injunction to the center.

Tagged with: Constitutional Free Speech

Greater Baltimore Center for Pregnancy Concerns Inc. v. St. Brigid’s Roman Catholic Congregation Inc. The 4th Circuit upholds summary judgment for a Baltimore “Pregnancy Center” on its challenge to a local ordinance the Center said violated its free speech rights by compelling it to post signs saying the Center did not provide or make referral for abortion or birth control services.

Tagged with: Constitutional Free Speech

Cole v. City of Charlotte Where plaintiff denies writing an email that criticized the city attorney’s office, she cannot claim that her right to freedom of speech was violated when she was allegedly fired for writing the email.

Tagged with: Constitutional Free Speech Labor & Employment Municipal Wrongful-Discharge Claim

When it comes to suppressing free speech on campus, St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh ranks alongside some of the nation’s most venerated academic institutions, including Yale and Harvard, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

Tagged with: Free Speech Raleigh

Lefemine, d/b/a Columbia Christians for Life v. Wideman The 4th Circuit upholds a judgment that a local sheriff’s department violated a pro-life group’s First Amendment rights when officers asked group members not to display “large, graphic signs” with aborted fetuses as part of a roadside demonstration, but the appellate court also upholds qualified immunity for defendants.

Tagged with: Civil Rights Constitutional First Amendment Free Speech Qualified Immunity

Sandhill Amusements v. State ex rel. Purdue The trial court determined that G.S. § 14-3-6.4 was constitutional, dismissed plaintiffs’ complaint for a declaration that their sweepstakes systems did not violate N.C. gaming or gambling laws, and dissolved a preliminary injunction prohibiting defendants from taking enforcement action against plaintiffs. Since Hest Technologies, Inc. v. State ex rel. Purdue [Lawyers Weekly No. 12-07-0254] declared § 14-306.4 void as unconstitutionally overbroad, we must reverse the trial court’s order.

Tagged with: Constitutional First Amendment Free Speech

Hest Technologies, Inc. v. State ex rel. Purdue G.S. § 14-306.4 does not outlaw sweepstakes, but it prohibits the sweepstakes company from revealing results via a videogame. The statute violates the sweepstakes company’s freedom of speech.

Tagged with: Constitutional First Amendment Free Speech

Stuart v. Huff G.S. § 90-21.85 requires a medical provider to display images of an abortion patient’s ultrasound so she may see them and to simultaneously explain the display, including the presence, location, and dimensions of the fetus along with the presence of external members and internal organs, if present and viewable. This compelled speech does not withstand strict scrutiny.

Tagged with: Civil Practice Constitutional Free Speech preliminary injunction

Kowalski v. Berkeley County Schools A high school could suspend a student for five days for using a MySpace page to target another student with ugly accusations about herpes, on the ground that the out-of-school speech caused an in-school disruption; the 4th Circuit upholds a district court decision that the discipline did not violate the student’s First Amendment free speech rights.

Tagged with: Civil Rights Constitutional discipline Free Speech