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Saturday, February 15, 2025 - 02:03 PM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA FOR 30+ YRS

First Published & Printed in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA FOR OVER 30 YEARS!

Institute for Free Speech Represents Moms for Liberty in HUGE win for Free Speech in Brevard County, FL

We are celebrating a recent win for free speech in the 11th Circuit of Florida!

A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of our Brevard County, FL chapter in a case challenging their school board's policy that restricted speech at public meetings. The lawsuit was filed in 2021 and stemmed from incidents where individuals were prevented from speaking at school board meetings due to the overly broad nature of the district's policies.

The court found that the school district's policies failed to provide clear definitions of prohibited speech, leading to arbitrary enforcement and suppression of dissenting viewpoints.

Some key excerpts from the lawsuit include:

“To say that a government may not burden speech simply because some listeners find it unacceptable is nothing new. Indeed, it is ‘firmly settled’ under our Constitution that ‘the public expression of ideas may not be prohibited merely because the ideas are themselves offensive to some of their hearers.’”

“To be sure, sometimes meetings can get tense—no one enjoys being called out negatively, and some may even dislike public praise. But that is the price of admission under the First Amendment. Rather than curtail speech, as ‘a Nation we have chosen a different course—to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate….’ Because the policy’s contours are undefined and the record of enforcement only casts a shadow over the school board meetings’ purposes, the Board’s prohibition on personally directed speech is unreasonable and thus facially unconstitutional.”

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“When I was a school board member, we never censored public comments. The First Amendment guarantees the right to say things that are difficult, hard to hear, and possibly offensive, but this is the only way the public can hold elected officials accountable. This was a First Amendment battle, plain and simple. Without the First Amendment, the others are irrelevant.” 

Amy Knessey, Former Brevard Public Schools Board Member

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“The brave members in this case made this 11th Circuit victory possible! They ensured that parents have the right to hold their school boards and government accountable. This win underscores that when we refuse to be silenced, we not only reclaim our voices but also reinforce the bedrock American right of free speech. We must all stand firm against any encroachment on our fundamental rights, especially on matters concerning our children's education."   

Tiffany Justice, Moms for Liberty Co-founder