MAGA Hat is Free Speech, Says Appeals Court – IOTW Report

MAGA Hat is Free Speech, Says Appeals Court

WLT: A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Washington State middle school teacher was exercising his right of free speech while wearing his MAGA hat at school training sessions.

MAGA hat is free speech, says court in reviving threatened teacher’s lawsuit https://t.co/11I21QEvNw pic.twitter.com/z07WdXf4fj

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2022

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said there was no evidence that teacher, Eric Dodge, had caused any disruption by wearing his MAGA hat to teacher-only trainings at his Vancouver, Washington, school.

Dodge said the principal, Caroline Garrett, called him a racist and homophobe and he would need a union rep if he wore the hat again.

Garrett reportedly told Dodge that other faculty members were offended by the hat.

Dodge sued Garrett and the school district, claiming retaliation against his free-speech rights.

Reuters reported:

U.S. District Judge James Robart in Tacoma, Washington, dismissed the case last year. The judge said Garrett was immune from the lawsuit because her alleged actions were not clearly unconstitutional, and that the school district had not ratified any unlawful conduct by the principal.

The 9th Circuit on Thursday revived the claim against Garrett, saying Dodge’s freedom of expression clearly outweighed any potential for the hat to offend his coworkers.

“That some may not like the political message being conveyed is par for the course and cannot itself be a basis for finding disruption of a kind that outweighs the speaker’s First Amendment rights,” wrote Trump-appointee Circuit Judge Danielle Forrest. MORE

8 Comments on MAGA Hat is Free Speech, Says Appeals Court

  1. How does “Make America Great Again” translate into fear of homosexuality and anti-non-white people? There’s simply no connection except in the distorted, sick, twisted mind of those feigning “offence.”

    All of us can help to Make America Great Again!

    mortem tyrannis
    izlamo delenda est …

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  2. Tim – FJB, Make America Great Again! is yugely triggering to those who do not want America great again. They never wanted America great in the first place, let alone “again”. That anyone would want America great again naturally implies that it was ever great. Enemies of our country do not believe that America was ever great.

    I know you already know this. I just had to articulate it again for myself.

    I’m glad the court revisited this case because the 1st judge was wrong to dismiss it. I’m not surprised it was Robart who dismissed. He’s the guy main stream media tried to spin as “conservative” — pro-BLM, blocked POTUS Trump’s travel ban to radical muslims, etc. etc. etc. A Bush appointee.

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  3. A bush appointee, I should have known. Thanks AA for letting us know. More and more these “conservative” justices that rule against us show us how corrupt the Bushies were.
    An to think I voted for them. Well at least until low energy Jeb came along.

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  4. @Tim – FJB January 2, 2023 at 8:20 am

    > How does “Make America Great Again” translate into fear of homosexuality and anti-non-white people?

    Indeed! MAGA luvs faggotry! Baby raping! And American genocide! Better if intersectional!

    No?

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