By Carolyn Calder, Vol. 22 Staff Writer On July 7, 2023, the Coalition for Independent Technology Research filed a law suit against, among others, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas. The complaint argues that the state of Texas acted unconstitutionally and in violation of the First Amendment when it implemented a ban of the social media …
By Halley Dannemiller, Vol. 22 Staff Writer We rely on apps like Find my Friends daily to keep tabs on family and loved ones, but did you know that this information could be accessed by law enforcement to place you at the scene of a crime? The ready availability of such time-stamped locational data poses …
By Kelly Fitzgerald, Volume 21 Staff Writer A product’s label is the first thing that grabs a consumer’s attention to grab an item off the shelf. What a food product’s label looks-like and sounds-like has a significant impact on what a consumer thinks that food might taste-like. You know this. I know this. And big …
On March 31st, 2022, the ACLU of New York (NYCLU) and the Civil Rights Clinic from the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law filed a civil suit in the Southern District of New York against a New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) book ban on “Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising and Its Legacy,” by Pulitzer Prize winning author Heather Ann Thompson. DOCCS banned the book immediately after it was published in 2016.
By Tyler Ventura, Vol. 21 Staff Writer Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made national headlines last spring as he championed the passing of House Bill 7 (also known as HB 7 or the “Stop WOKE” act) through Florida’s state legislature. This law focused largely on the teaching of critical race theory, otherwise known as “CRT,” in …
By Shane Stout, Vol. 21 Staff Writer For decades, the Supreme Court has protected academic freedom, a concept intertwined with the First Amendment that protects the rights of students, teachers, and educational institutions to pursue knowledge without government interference. While academic freedom has traditionally applied to college professors, its tenets also extend to public school …
America has recently seen a renewed focus on civil rights and racial justice—as well as dramatic divisions over how to discuss race, rights, justice, and history. The current moral panic over critical race theory (“CRT”) has spurred some conservative officials to regulate the treatment of race in schools, libraries, and workplaces. While public schools and libraries are subject to significant governmental control, a high-profile court case is testing whether the First Amendment limits anti-CRT efforts in another key forum: the private workplaces that employ most American adults.
Image credit: Element 5 Digital By Ryan Moore, Vol. 21 Staff Writer Introduction The 2020 presidential election provided anything but the comfortable rhythm long-time viewers of election night coverage have come to expect. Americans went to bed on election night without a declared victor, mostly due to the prevalence of mail-in ballots in the …
Image credit: Pixabay By: William McDonald, Vol. 21 Staff Writer Introduction “Churches exist primarily for the spiritual edification of the adherents of a faith tradition. They are established and operated in accordance with religious precepts. Churches may build sites to house worship, fellowship, community, and teaching. They simultaneously have a secular existence.” These words from …
Picture credit: Gaelen Morse / Getty Images By Chase Nevitt, Vol. 21 Staff Writer In the summer of 2022, Ohio State University won a somewhat humorous legal battle over its desire to trademark the famous definite article used throughout the English language. The USPTO officially approved the university’s application to trademark “THE” following a two-year …
