Free Speech

Court rules several laws restricting the ballot initiative process violate the First Amendment; trial to continue on remaining claims

Arkansas universities are failing to protect faculty free speech, undermining academic freedom, due process, and their own core values.

A federal court blocked Arkansas’s Ten Commandments law, affirming students’ religious freedom and limits on government in schools.

The ACLU of Arkansas filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of former Russellville High School biology teacher Chance Duncan, alleging that the Russellville School District violated the First Amendment by firing him over a social media post he made as a private citizen on his personal Facebook account in response to the death of political activist Charlie Kirk. Duncan, an award-winning biology teacher with 18 years of experience, made the Facebook post after school hours using his personal device. Although he deleted the post the following morning and publicly apologized, the district suspended and later terminated him. The lawsuit argues that Duncan's post addressed a matter of public concern and was protected by the First Amendment. It alleges that the district unlawfully retaliated against him for exercising his constitutional right to free speech. The complaint asks the court to declare the district's actions unconstitutional, order Duncan's reinstatement, and award attorney's fees and other appropriate relief.

The ACLU of Arkansas filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Gregory Holt, also known as Abdul Maalik Muhammad, a renowned jailhouse litigator and devout Muslim, against Arkansas Division of Correction Director Dexter Payne. The lawsuit challenges Mr. Muhammad’s sudden and retaliatory transfer to a dangerous federal prison in West Virginia, alleging it was designed to derail his civil rights litigation and silence his legal advocacy on behalf of himself and others in prison.

A group of seven multifaith Arkansas families has filed a federal lawsuit to stop Act 573, a new state law that requires all public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library.