LA Community College District Settles Free Speech Case

The Los Angeles Community College District settled a free speech lawsuit with Pierce College student Kevin Shaw, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. Shaw sued the district after he was reprimanded for passing out Spanish-language copies of the U.S. Constitution to recruit new members to Young Americans for Liberty, a libertarian student organization. Shaw had been distributing the pocket Constitutions outside Pierce College’s “free speech zone” and without university permission. As part of the settlement, the district agreed to enlarge the free speech zone at Pierce College -- which at the time was the size of about three parking spaces -- and ensure that the other eight colleges in the district have similar free speech protections.