Government Gagged

Most police departments in the United States employ constitutionally questionable policies prohibiting their officers from expressing concerns publicly on social media about misconduct, according to a new study by Frank D. LoMonte, former director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida, and UF Levin College of Law…

Government agencies throughout the country are enforcing broad policies forbidding public employees from speaking to the news media without approval, even though federal courts repeatedly have declared such policies unconstitutional, the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information documents in a new report. The Brechner Center issue brief, “The First Amendment…

Private employers of all kinds, including universities, commonly forbid their employees from discussing work-related matters with journalists without prior approval. But a new analysis by Brechner Center researchers finds that broadly worded workplace “gag orders” are likely invalid and unenforceable under federal labor law. In an article for The Journal…