Liberty Justice Center Demands San Jacinto Unified School District Uphold First Amendment Rights After Blocking Education Advocate
A legal advocacy group has accused the San Jacinto Unified School District of violating free speech rights after the district temporarily blocked a prominent education advocate from its social media account. The Liberty Justice Center has sent a demand letter to the district, threatening litigation if it doesn’t agree to a series of commitments aimed at protecting First Amendment rights.
The dispute began on September 18, when Corey DeAngelis, a member of the Liberty Justice Center’s board, was blocked from the district’s X (formerly Twitter) account. DeAngelis had publicly criticized a district teacher, Jacqueline Gardner, for a post allegedly celebrating the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk.
Following objections from DeAngelis and the Liberty Justice Center, the district unblocked him, claiming the action was “accidental.” However, it then disabled comments across all its posts.
According to the Liberty Justice Center, this isn’t the first time DeAngelis has faced this type of censorship. Earlier this year, the group secured a federal consent decree against the Pulaski County Board of Education after it blocked DeAngelis for criticizing its use of taxpayer money to lobby against education reform. That decree ordered the district to cease viewpoint-based restrictions and provide First Amendment training for its staff.
Dean McGee, the director of educational freedom at the Liberty Justice Center, stated that while the superintendent has acknowledged the district’s duty to its employees, it has the same duty to its critics. “We will continue to defend First Amendment rights and hold public officials accountable for unlawful censorship,” he said.
The Liberty Justice Center is demanding that the San Jacinto Unified School District make similar commitments to those outlined in the Pulaski County consent decree. If the district fails to take corrective action, the group is prepared to file a lawsuit to protect the free speech rights of DeAngelis and all members of the community.
READ: Liberty Justice Center Asks SCOTUS To Protect Free Speech, Challenges Mississippi ‘Catch-22’
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