Brickbat: Blast Off in the Comments

Leigha Lemoine has sued South Carolina’s Horry-Georgetown Technical College, claiming it violated her First Amendment rights. The college suspended Lemoine from its cosmetology program for one year and issued her a no-trespass notice, saying she violated student code by “engaging in any activity that disrupts the educational process of the college.” Lemoine posted in a Snapchat group chat that a person who disrespected her should “get blasted.” The person she was referring to was not associated with the college, but others in the chat were, and at least one reported the comment to administrators. At first, the school ruled the comment was acceptable, but it later suspended her after finding an unrelated Instagram post from before she was enrolled that showed her firing a handgun. Nicole Hyman, a school spokeswoman, said in a statement, “While the College respects all individuals’ rights, including their rights to freedom of expression, the College’s priority is to ensure the well-being and security of the entire campus community.”

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