SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
Public Citizen sued Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday for allegedly blocking access to the consumer group's website on her department's guest Wi-Fi and internal networks.
"No way are we going to let them get away with suppressing our views."
--Robert Weissman, Public Citizen
"This is a blatant violation of the First Amendment," Public Citizen president Robert Weissman wrote in an email to supporters. "Users attempting to access Public Citizen's website though the department's guest wireless networks receive a message that access is 'in violation of your internet usage policy.' We requested the department's policy for blocking access to internet sites, but it hasn't responded to our request."
"What we do know," Weissman continued, "is that our website contains lots of information critical of DeVos and the department."
\u201cBREAKING: We just sued the Department of Education for blocking our website on their networks \u2014 a blatant violation of the First Amendment.\n\nWe\u2019ve been highly critical of Betsy Devos for putting students at the mercy of predatory for-profit colleges. We won't let her silence us.\u201d— Public Citizen (@Public Citizen) 1554838717
Public Citizen filed its complaint (pdf) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of David Halperin, a Public Citizen board member who frequently attends meetings at the Department of Education and uses its Wi-Fi network.
The organization's filing alleges that the Department of Education is violating both the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act by blocking access to its website.
"The department and DeVos have no legitimate justification for blocking access to Public Citizen's website," the group said in a press release. "Public Citizen's website includes material on a wide range of issues, including information critical of the department and DeVos... Public Citizen also uses its website to inform the public about litigation, including litigation involving DeVos and the department."
Public Citizen is seeking "a court order declaring the department's and DeVos's action unlawful and enjoining them from blocking access" to its site.
"No way are we going to let them get away with suppressing our views," Weissman said.
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Public Citizen sued Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday for allegedly blocking access to the consumer group's website on her department's guest Wi-Fi and internal networks.
"No way are we going to let them get away with suppressing our views."
--Robert Weissman, Public Citizen
"This is a blatant violation of the First Amendment," Public Citizen president Robert Weissman wrote in an email to supporters. "Users attempting to access Public Citizen's website though the department's guest wireless networks receive a message that access is 'in violation of your internet usage policy.' We requested the department's policy for blocking access to internet sites, but it hasn't responded to our request."
"What we do know," Weissman continued, "is that our website contains lots of information critical of DeVos and the department."
\u201cBREAKING: We just sued the Department of Education for blocking our website on their networks \u2014 a blatant violation of the First Amendment.\n\nWe\u2019ve been highly critical of Betsy Devos for putting students at the mercy of predatory for-profit colleges. We won't let her silence us.\u201d— Public Citizen (@Public Citizen) 1554838717
Public Citizen filed its complaint (pdf) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of David Halperin, a Public Citizen board member who frequently attends meetings at the Department of Education and uses its Wi-Fi network.
The organization's filing alleges that the Department of Education is violating both the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act by blocking access to its website.
"The department and DeVos have no legitimate justification for blocking access to Public Citizen's website," the group said in a press release. "Public Citizen's website includes material on a wide range of issues, including information critical of the department and DeVos... Public Citizen also uses its website to inform the public about litigation, including litigation involving DeVos and the department."
Public Citizen is seeking "a court order declaring the department's and DeVos's action unlawful and enjoining them from blocking access" to its site.
"No way are we going to let them get away with suppressing our views," Weissman said.
Public Citizen sued Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday for allegedly blocking access to the consumer group's website on her department's guest Wi-Fi and internal networks.
"No way are we going to let them get away with suppressing our views."
--Robert Weissman, Public Citizen
"This is a blatant violation of the First Amendment," Public Citizen president Robert Weissman wrote in an email to supporters. "Users attempting to access Public Citizen's website though the department's guest wireless networks receive a message that access is 'in violation of your internet usage policy.' We requested the department's policy for blocking access to internet sites, but it hasn't responded to our request."
"What we do know," Weissman continued, "is that our website contains lots of information critical of DeVos and the department."
\u201cBREAKING: We just sued the Department of Education for blocking our website on their networks \u2014 a blatant violation of the First Amendment.\n\nWe\u2019ve been highly critical of Betsy Devos for putting students at the mercy of predatory for-profit colleges. We won't let her silence us.\u201d— Public Citizen (@Public Citizen) 1554838717
Public Citizen filed its complaint (pdf) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of David Halperin, a Public Citizen board member who frequently attends meetings at the Department of Education and uses its Wi-Fi network.
The organization's filing alleges that the Department of Education is violating both the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act by blocking access to its website.
"The department and DeVos have no legitimate justification for blocking access to Public Citizen's website," the group said in a press release. "Public Citizen's website includes material on a wide range of issues, including information critical of the department and DeVos... Public Citizen also uses its website to inform the public about litigation, including litigation involving DeVos and the department."
Public Citizen is seeking "a court order declaring the department's and DeVos's action unlawful and enjoining them from blocking access" to its site.
"No way are we going to let them get away with suppressing our views," Weissman said.