ADF urges 5th Circuit to hold govt officials accountable for First Amendment violations

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch regarding a friend-of-the-court brief ADF attorneys filed Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in Villarreal v. City of Laredo on behalf of Young America’s Foundation to protect free speech by eliminating government officials’ immunity from liability when they clearly violate a citizen’s First Amendment rights:

“Government officials, from college administrators to police officers, must be held accountable for unconstitutional or illegal actions, particularly when their actions are deliberative and calculated, not a split-second decision. Too often, we see government officials hiding behind the ‘qualified immunity’ doctrine to get a free pass after they blatantly violate a citizen’s freedom of speech. We urge the 5th Circuit to affirm the fundamental right to free speech of every American and deter government officials from future obvious First Amendment violations.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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