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"Terroristic Threats" are one way that free speech is under attack. Another is harassment laws. Law student Anya Bargh was arrested for sending an email sayin

"Terroristic Threats" are one way that free speech is under attack. Another is harassment laws. Law student Anya Bargh was arrested for sending an email saying "Let’s celebrate diversity by having the next dean NOT be Jewish." If that isn't protected speech I don't know what is. http://www.volokh.com/2013/05/03/law-student-arrested-chiefly-for-anti-semitic-and-racist-e-mail-to-student-government-and-for-offensive-posts-about-professors/ http://www.volokh.com/2013/05/03/law-student-arrested-chiefl...

rexreed 13y ago
In reading the above link, it's obvious that her arrest stems from more than just that one email, but rather a series of email messages and online comments that some had claimed were harassment. That being said, it most likely is still protected free speech, as odious as those messages and postings were. I think the case will be dismissed, but her future in law school is probably over.
- mc-lovin 13y ago
  You are absolutely correct that her arrest relates to a number of actions on her part, apart from the email that the quote comes from. However, without having seen the arrest report or other documents, it seems from the news articles that the quote in my post is considered by the police to be in itself harassment. Also, to be arrested for protected speech is bad enough, even if the charges are dismissed. Imagine if every time you held up a banner you could get arrested for harassement, it took a court case to acquit you.
aptwebapps 13y ago
Did you actually read what you linked to? The entirety of the allegations go _way_ beyond that single email.
- mc-lovin 13y ago
  yes, see my reply above. This is potentially a serious free speech issue, please get all the facts before dismissing it. If the police say "We are arresting person X because of this statement, and they also did some other stuff", then this suggests that the statements are part of the charges. But as I said above, it's hard to know for certain without seeing the actual charges.
  - aptwebapps 13y ago
    To me, there are two issues at hand and the first is whether this statement could be called harassment. I'd say yes, as a part of a larger whole, it can definitely be harassment. The second is whether law enforcement might call something that should be protected speech harassment and I'm sure that they will and do from time to time. In this particular case I have no problem with calling it harassment if the other allegations are true.

rexreed 13y ago

In reading the above link, it's obvious that her arrest stems from more than just that one email, but rather a series of email messages and online comments that some had claimed were harassment. That being said, it most likely is still protected free speech, as odious as those messages and postings were. I think the case will be dismissed, but her future in law school is probably over.

mc-lovin 13y ago
You are absolutely correct that her arrest relates to a number of actions on her part, apart from the email that the quote comes from. However, without having seen the arrest report or other documents, it seems from the news articles that the quote in my post is considered by the police to be in itself harassment. Also, to be arrested for protected speech is bad enough, even if the charges are dismissed. Imagine if every time you held up a banner you could get arrested for harassement, it took a court case to acquit you.

aptwebapps 13y ago

Did you actually read what you linked to? The entirety of the allegations go _way_ beyond that single email.

mc-lovin 13y ago
yes, see my reply above. This is potentially a serious free speech issue, please get all the facts before dismissing it. If the police say "We are arresting person X because of this statement, and they also did some other stuff", then this suggests that the statements are part of the charges. But as I said above, it's hard to know for certain without seeing the actual charges.
- aptwebapps 13y ago
  To me, there are two issues at hand and the first is whether this statement could be called harassment. I'd say yes, as a part of a larger whole, it can definitely be harassment. The second is whether law enforcement might call something that should be protected speech harassment and I'm sure that they will and do from time to time. In this particular case I have no problem with calling it harassment if the other allegations are true.