A federal judge granted a Letcher County parent a preliminary injunction Thursday in a free speech case against Jenkins Independent Schools.
The American Civil Liberties Union is representing Elizabeth Jones in the federal suit against the district after it banned her from school property and activities. District officials said some of her social media posts “appeared to be harassment” and banned her in December. The preliminary injunction allows Jones to attend events and be on school property while the lawsuit proceeds.
In a news release, the ACLU said the school district did not identify in filings which of her posts led to the ban. The district later identified specific social media posts.
“This ruling affirms a basic constitutional principle: public officials cannot punish people simply because they dislike or take offense at protected speech,” Bethany Baxter, staff attorney for the ACLU of Kentucky, stated in the release. “Ms. Jones should never have been forced to choose between exercising her First Amendment rights and participating fully in her children’s lives. We are pleased the court has stopped the district from continuing to enforce this harmful and unconstitutional ban while the case moves forward.”
Jones runs the social media page Hillbilly Crime, which comments on local true crime cases.
She and officials with Jenkins Independent School District did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the ACLU declined further comment in the case Friday.
