Public schools are not considered traditional public forums for First Amendment purposes, so there is less protection of speech in those places than there is for streets, sidewalks, and parks. Ĭan I hand out literature and speak freely on public university campuses? How about public elementary, middle, or high schools? The rules for distributing literature are different for places which do not fit the definition of a “traditional public forum.” For example, airports are not considered a traditional public forum for First Amendment purposes, so you do not have the same freedom of speech in that location as you do on a public sidewalk. Īre there places at which I absolutely cannot distribute literature? And the courts have ruled that the distribution in public of “obscene” material is not protected by the First Amendment courts look to community standards when determining whether sexually explicit material is so offensive that it would be considered obscene. For more information, see the ACLU-WA’s Know Your Rights Guide: Protests. The First Amendment does not protect “true threats” of harm to others or defamation. There are only a few kinds of speech that the government can ban based on the content. Ĭan the government ban certain types of speech from being distributed in public because of the content? Legal cases consider public places that have historically been open to public expression and assembly to be “traditional public forums.” While even in traditional public forums, cities are allowed to regulate the time, place, and manner of speech in some ways (such as limiting noise), any such regulations must be reasonable and cannot be based on the content of the speech.
School license of speak it ispeech free#
Those places are considered “traditional public forums” where free speech rights are protected the most. Generally, you do not need a permit to pass out literature or give a speech in public places like sidewalks or city parks.
If I want to give a speech or pass out literature such as flyers or leaflets in a public place like on the sidewalk or in a park - do I need to get a permit? Know Your Rights Guide: Speech in Public Places
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