Columbia President Lee Bollinger was supposed to introduce Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday. While many expected a speech on freedom of speech and academic freedom, Bollinger launched into a personal attack on Ahmadinejad. Bollinger has been getting great criticism for the invitation and seemed to want to fend off critics with his attack on Ahmadinejad. Continue reading “Columbia President Bollinger Abandons Principle and Attacks Ahmadinejad”
While an atheist soldier litigates a claim of discrimination by the military (discussed below), an atheist high school students found her home vandalized for challenging “God Bless America” as an appropriate song for her school. Continue reading “Atheist student’s home attacked by poor-spelling religious extremists”
Scott Clark, a guest at an Embassy Suites Hotel in St. Paul, is accused of ripping the head off a duck that lived in the hotel’s pond inside its lobby. Witnesses said that Clark ripped its head off and turned to onlookers and said: “I’m hungry. I’m gonna eat it.” Continue reading “Animal Cruelty and Animal Liability: Man Pulls Off Head of Duck in Hotel Lobby”
The military has long been accused of discrmination against agnostics and atheists. Despite the claim that “there are no atheists in foxholes,” many soldiers have fought for the country despite being agnostics or atheists. Their patriotism comes from faith in our country, but that is not enough for some military officers. Recently, wiccan families have protested the refusal to include their symbols on tombstones for fallen soldiers who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, Spc. Jeremy Hall has filed a lawsuit saying that he was punished for trying to organize meetings for atheists and non-Christians in Iraq, including an effort to block his reenlistment. For the full story, click here
With today’s speech by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, legislators are threatening to pull state funds unless Columbia engages in self-censorship and bars the speech. Columbia has not been a particularly reliable first amendment advocate in the past. In a shocking display of anti-free speech conduct, students shutdown a speech by the head of an anti-immigration movement and did not have punishment. Continue reading “Academic Freedom Under Attack: Legislators Threaten to Punish Columbia for Ahmadinejad Speech”
One million Chinese cribs have been recalled due to a design defect that allows assemblers to put one of the sides (which slides down for removal of the infant) on the crib upside down. Continue reading “Design Defect Alleged in Chinese-Made Crib: A Case of Foreseeable Misuse?”
Anthony Anderson appeared in court in England to plead guilty to a shocking attack on a dying woman. While shouting, “This is YouTube material!,” he urinated on 50-year-old Christine Lakinski, who died on the street of pancreatic failure. Johnson also doused her with a bucket of water and covered her with shaving cream. He pleaded guilty to “outraing public decency,” a surprisingly low-grade offense for the conduct. Continue reading “British Man Faces Minor Charges After Urinating on Dying Woman for Youtube Video”
Often in class, we discuss the difference between conversion and trespass to chattel. Often with trespass to chattel the owner seeks the return of the item and any damages to it. However, if the item is damaged heavily or destroyed, they are more likely to allege conversion. Such damage can be alleged if the item is not destroyed or broken but its continued use is obnoxious or practically barred. The example that I have given is someone stealing another person’s false teeth. Now, there is such a case. Click here for the story. Note also the close relationship to criminal and tort conversion in such a case.
In a move that will shock many concerned with the de-evolution of legal standards, a Florida judge has reduced a life sentence in exchange for a voluntary castration of a rapist. A reduction from life to 25 years seriously undermines the notion of the castration as voluntary and the use of such physical alteration or mutilation (depending on your view) should send shock waves throughout the system. For the story, click here
For years, Senator Ted Stevens has been the poster boy of congressional corruption. I have written for years about his very public effort to enrich himself and his family. He now appears to be in serious trouble, but the question is why Alaskan voters allowed him to continue so long after media and columnists raised such issues over and over again. For a prior column on Stevens, click here .
I used to live in Alexandria Louisiana and I can certainly attest to a few throw backs and racists in that part of the country. However, the arrests yesterday of an adult and a minor for dangling nooses off the back of a pick-up truck raises some very serious first amendment issues. In the controversy over the Jena, La. cases, police appear to have attacked quickly to make the arrest. However, a noose is a symbol of expression for bad or good. It should be protected speech. The case could return the courts to the question of when a burning cross can be prosecuted as hate speech — a very controversial matter recently ruled upon by the Supreme Court (in upholding criminal prosecution for a cross burning on private property).
For the picture of the nooses and the full story, click here
An Iowa doctor, Dr. Curtis Hoegh, is accused of accidentally cutting open a tumor removed from her ovary and spilling cancerous tissues or cells into her abdomen. Continue reading “Medical Malpractice: Doctor Cuts Open Cancerous Tumor and Spills Cells into Woman’s Stomach”
For years, academics have been divided over the movement to bar military recruiters from campus as a discriminatory organization. It is clear that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is discriminatory and therefore violates the standard bar on potential employers who engage in discrimination based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. However, while I have been a vocal support of gay rights on many fronts, I was one of those who opposed the litigation that my law school joined. At the time, I stated that it was not only a clear loser on the law but it represented a type of hypocrisy: we insist that we cannot allow discrimination but, if money is at stake, we will allow it. The only principled decision would have been bar the military regardless of the consequences. For an column on the issue, click here
Now Yale has reached its price. However, one must ask if, considering the outrage in court papers, this is like saying that we will allow racially discriminatory employers on campus if they offer us enough money. For the article, click here.
Published in January 2006
Following oral argument on Dec. 6, the U.S. Supreme Court is now pondering the wisdom of Solomon.
The Solomon Amendment withholds federal funds from any school that does not provide the same access to military recruiters as it does to other potential employers. Law schools have rallied against the rule for violating their nondiscrimination policies as well as their constitutional rights of speech and association. In the balance are the right of Congress to condition the receipt of federal funds, the right of free speech-and literally billions of dollars that could be lost by schools unable to reconcile anti-discrimination policies with their receipt of federal money. Continue reading “The Solomon Amendment and Hypocrisy”
Only a day after the Meyer video, a new video shows Rev. Lennox Yearwood being thrown to the ground and arrested by Capitol Hill police outside of a hearing room. The incident occurred September 10th. For a video of the incident, click here. The video of the incident shows little beyond verbal resistance. It is particularly alarming to see that Capitol Hill police are charging him with assaulting an officer. No such assault appears on the tape. Historically, police has treated any contact as an assault — which is an abuse of this category of offense. Continue reading “Video: Rev. Lennox Yearwood Tackled, Arrested, and Injured on Capitol Hill”