Plano, TX- Today, Liberty Legal Institute filed a lawsuit against Crowley Independent School District on behalf of Janice Colston, who was denied free speech rights outside Crowley High School last spring.
“Crowley ISD, despite being warned several times through attempts to resolve this, continues to bow its neck in the face of clear constitutional law and the freedom of speech and religion,” said Tom Brandon, co-counsel for Mrs. Colston.
The situation arose when Mrs. Colston was prohibited from passing out religious literature on a public sidewalk near Crowley High School after school hours. Before interacting with anyone, Mrs. Colston was stopped and told to move to the end of the street, therefore preventing contact with students.
Instead of negotiating a settlement, Crowley ISD asked the City of Crowley to “deed” the sidewalk to the district so that it could take control over the sidewalk and prohibit speech there, and the city agreed.
“Crowley ISD’s foolish attempt to exclude speech demonstrates just how desperate this district is to trample on the constitutional rights of citizens,” said Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for Liberty Legal Institute.
In the lawsuit, Mrs. Colston requests that she be allowed to distribute religious literature on neutral territory without intervention from school officials, regardless of who owns the public sidewalk.
“Mrs. Colston has a clear and undeniable right according to the First Amendment to stand on a public sidewalk and distribute religious literature,” said Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute. “It is outrageous that the school district has singled out this grandmother and barred her from an entire block of a public sidewalk.”
CLICK HERE for a copy of the lawsuit.