Political Speech: The Fabled “Carte Blanche” Being Put to the Test in Universities and Law Firms Across the Country

While “political speech” may have constitutional and legislative protections, it is not a carte blanche to speak without consequences. In recent times, as conflicts and tempers rise and emotions soar, individuals have taken to social media and other public forums to disseminate what some might characterize as political speech while others condemn it as hate speech, incitement to violence, or at best, offensive remarks made in poor judgment. Consequences for such speech have ranged from public shaming via social media to employment termination. Our multi-disciplinary panel of experts will examine political speech as it stands today, the real-world impact, ramifications in the spheres of education and employment, and the future litigation we can expect.