[OPLINLIST] Library Staff and First Amendment

[Stephen Hedges]

This will not help, but I'd like to point out that the First Amendment just says ~government~ shall not make any ~law~ that restricts freedom of speech, etc. Nowadays, people use the First as an excuse to complain whenever someone refuses to listen to them!

(Sorry, you pushed one of my hot buttons.)

As I said, though, this doesn't help you in this situation, since this is obviously not a good time to do a seminar on the finer legal points of the First Amendment.

Stephen
--
Stephen Hedges, Director
Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)
2323 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 130, Columbus, OH 43204
614-728-5250  ::  hedgesst at oplin.org

----- Original Message -----
> From: "John K. Chidester" <jchidest at knox.net>
> To: "OPLINLIST" <oplinlist at lists.oplin.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 3:35:42 PM
> Subject: [OPLINLIST] Library Staff and First Amendment
> 
> 
> 
> Hello, Oplinland! We’ve had a modest controversy opened up by a patron who
> tried to engage one of our circ desk staff in a political discussion. She
> didn’t want to participate, but instead of saying so, told him she wasn’t
> allowed to discuss such things. Next thing I knew, I was getting e-mail from
> the patron, accusing me of tyranny. My response to him (briefly, quoting our
> policy: “Library staff may discuss political or religious subjects, issues
> and concerns among themselves, but active promotion of political or
> religious positions, activities or organizations to other staff or the
> general public is prohibited. Any employee who feels that he or she has been
> the target of unwanted proselytization should discuss this concern with his
> or her immediate supervisor, Department Head or the Library Director.”) did
> not mollify him. He sent a broadcast e-mail to our local newspaper, city
> officials, county prosecutor and commissioners, et. al., decrying my tyranny
> (yes, he used the word “tyranny”).
> 
> 
> 
> How do you all handle situations like this? How do your written policies
> address the issue? Does anyone NOT have a policy restricting staff speech
> during working hours? Care to share how that works?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> John Chidester, Tyrant
> 
> Public Library of Mount Vernon & Knox County
> 
> 
> 
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