When it comes to issues of libel and defamation, I usually find myself siding with the press. I think of cases like Hustler Magazine v. Falwell or Bollea v. Gawker, or even New York Times v. Sullivan. But what if statements of opinion in the press invalidate accurate facts about important issues like climate science? ... Continue Reading →

An Indiana University professors’ racist, sexist, and homophobic comments throughout the years recently came to light via Twitter account SheRatesDogs, but the University provost stated that it was not enough to fire him (though she did denunciate him and his actions). The quote I find most troubling about provost Professor Robel’s statement, however, is this:... Continue Reading →

Charels Donnelly, 23: “I will shoot any woman any time for any reason.” Police in Redmond, Washington seized Charels Donnelly’s weapons from his home after assessing the threat of Donnelly’s social media posts, including an image of Donnelly holding two AK-47 rifles with the caption “one ticket for joker please,” as well as posts regarding... Continue Reading →

In most countries other than the USA, hate speech is a crime. In fact, in Germany you can end up spending five years in prison for hate speech. The United States has a long history of trying to deal with this type of speech, and currently there are pretty tight restrictions on criminal punishments for... Continue Reading →