An eastern Kentucky woman who was banned from visiting her children’s school is being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union in federal court.
Elizabeth Jones runs Hillbilly Crime, a podcast and social media page focused on cases like the murder trial of former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines.
Jenkins Independent School District in Letcher County accuses her of harassing students in multiple social media posts. A letter from the school district banned her from school properties and activities, according to federal court documents.
“These posts disrupted the educational process, and they jeopardized the safety and well-being of students, fans, and visitors of school property,” the district argued in a court filing.
Jones argues in her lawsuit, which was filed Jan. 5 in Kentucky Eastern District Court, that the letter from the district did not identify any specific incident to cause a ban from school property, and that there is no time limit on when the ban would end.
Jones said in an ACLU news release that she has not threatened or harassed anyone as part of her social media channel and was only sharing her children’s activities. The ACLU argues the ban infringes on her right to free speech.
“People have the right to post on social media and take positions or or say things, and if it's an open event about which they’re speaking or are publishing photographs, they have the right to do so,” said ACLU attorney Corey Shapiro.
The school district says Jones can still speak with her children’s teachers and make decisions on their education, but argues she has no “protected liberty” to attend her children’s school for school-related activities or sporting events.
