NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Laura Sosh-Lightsy, a former Assistant Dean of Students, worked for over two decades at Middle Tennessee State University.
Then, she was fired for posting a negative comment after Charlie Kirk's assassination on a social media platform.
Now, she's suing the President and Vice President of the university, claiming free speech.
However, MTSU said the comments undermined the school's credibility and reputation.
NewsChannel 5 asked Belmont law professor David Hudson, who specializes in free speech, if the former employer has legs to stand on in court.
He said this is just one of many lawsuits that have been filed across the country, after comments surfaced following Kirk's assassination, and that the outcome of each case will largely boil down to context.
"It's a gray area, right? So public employees do not lose all their First Amendment rights simply because they accept public employment," he explained.
However, employees do give some of their rights away in accepting a job as a public employee.
In this case, Sosh-Lightsy and her attorneys have to show three things.
1) She was speaking as a private citizen, which Hudson says will likely be the case, given she was posting on a personal page.
2) Her speech touched on a matter of public concern, which Hudson says is also probably true.
3) Was her speech disruptive enough to the university to warrant her dismissal?
Did they fire the employee because they were offended by it or outraged by it, or were there legitimate concerns about the disruptive nature of the speech?" posed Hudson.
It's up to the courts to answer that question.
In the meantime, Hudson said social media has amplified questions about free speech more than ever before, so it's probably a good idea to take time to think before posting.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
