free speech news stories on Newser

'Obscene' Zuma Painting Case Heads to Court

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:54:22 CDT

The ruling South African party is heading to court today to support President Jacob Zuma's demand that an "obscene" painting of him be censored. The painting, which was vandalized earlier this week at a Johannesburg gallery, features Zuma with his genitals exposed. It's "rude, crude, and disrespectful," argues the African...

ACLU Backs Girls Expelled for Facebook 'Death Threats'

Rob Quinn — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:54:06 CDT

Genuine death threats don't tend to come with "LOL" and a smiley face attached, notes the ACLU, which has filed a lawsuit on behalf of three expelled eighth-graders in Indiana. The 14-year-old girls were kicked out of school for a Facebook conversation in which they talked about which classmates they...

Board: Ax Marine Who Put Obama on Jackass Poster

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:10:00 CDT

A military board has determined that a Marine sergeant committed misconduct and should be dismissed because he posted derogatory comments and Facebook photos of President Obama. Marine Sgt. Gary Stein launched a Facebook page called the Armed Forces Tea Party , in which he slammed Obama, violating Pentagon rules banning criticism...

School Caves, Lets Gay Kid Wear Banned T-Shirt for Day

Polly Davis Doig — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:26:05 CDT

Maverick Couch fought the man, and the man caved: The 16-year-old gay student, who sued his Ohio school for the right to wear a T-shirt emblazoned with "Jesus Is Not a Homophobe," will be allowed to wear it for a day. But it's a big day: The annual April 20...

Student Sues to Wear 'Jesus No Homophobe' Shirt

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:07:00 CDT

A gay student is suing his Ohio high school for the right to wear a T-shirt saying "Jesus is not a homophobe." The Lambda legal organization filed the suit on behalf of Maverick Couch, 16, arguing the ban on the shirt violates his right to free speech, and flies in...

PayPal Tells Publishers to Pull 'Obscene' E-Books

Rob Quinn — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:41:00 CST

PayPal is overstepping the bounds of its role as a payment processor by trying to ban e-books it deems obscene, publishers and free speech groups complain. At least three online publishers and booksellers received emails warning them that their accounts will be "limited" unless they pull titles "containing themes of...

Should Fake Military Boasts Be a Crime?

Matt Cantor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:07:05 CST

Since 2006, lying about military valor—claiming to have received a prestigious medal, for instance—could result in prosecution. But that could change after this Wednesday, when the Supreme Court reviews the Stolen Valor Act. Proponents of the law, which include the Obama administration, say it prevents fraud. Such liars...

Arizona Bill Would Restrict Teachers' Speech

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:34:58 CST

Arizona doesn't want its teachers cussing in class—and new proposed legislation would actually make it illegal to do so. GOP state lawmakers are behind Senate Bill 1467, which would require public school teachers to adhere to the FCC's TV and radio standards. That means certain limits on obscene, indecent,...

Twitter Caves, Will Restrict Tweets in Certain Countries

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:44:48 CST

Twitter has apparently decided corporate relations are more important than content. Company officials have announced that they will voluntarily restrict Twitter content in specific countries to comply with government limits on what citizens are allowed to read. "As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different...