Freedom of speech is critical to a functioning democracy. In the First Amendment, our Founding Fathers ensured complete freedom for public discussion and the exchange of ideas—even and especially those ideas they disliked. In today’s world, we see all sorts of institutions disregarding the First Amendment and instead intimidating and silencing those with whom they disagree. This leaves Americans, especially those with conservative views, unable to express their views freely or forced to affirm ideas that they don’t believe in.
Southeastern Legal Foundation believes that your thoughts should be shared, because only through discourse can we grow as a society. Whether you are a college student being silenced because your conservative viewpoint is deemed offensive, a teacher being forced to affirm anti-racism, a parent being shut down at a school board meeting, or a business owner being fined for refusing to affirm radical gender ideology, SLF is here to help you fight for your rights.
SLF Stands Up for College Students
SLF knows that college students, especially ones who believe in conservative or libertarian values, are constantly fighting for their right to speak, listen, and learn on campus. Fortunately, they are not alone in the fight for their First Amendment rights—SLF is here to help, both in and out of the courtroom. Since the launch of SLF’s 1A Project in 2015, SLF has helped students at over 100 campuses secure their free speech rights through legal action and has trained thousands of students through free legal programming and guidebooks. SLF is dedicated to restoring colleges to the marketplace of ideas they once were by ensuring that the voices of all students are heard.
SLF Protects Conservative Voices in K-12 Schools
Too many K-12 schools across America are replacing “reading, writing, and arithmetic” with dangerous and divisive ideologies. The latest faddish trends, from rejection of colorblindness, or the promotion of theories like white privilege or gender theory, are now standard fare. Conservative viewpoints are not just absent but labeled dangerous and crushed. And with the push of radical gender ideology, parents and students who wish to speak up if their child is forced to use a bathroom or locker room with a student of the opposite sex, or refuse to use incorrect pronouns, risk having that speech punished as discrimination or harassment. Through targeted and strategic lawsuits, SLF is proud to represent brave students, parents, and teachers pushing back on these radical and unconstitutional policies that stifle free speech and inquiry.
SLF Defends Conservative Voices in the Marketplace
Even once they graduate, Americans face forced conformity in their everyday lives. Conservatives have the right to prosper as professionals without sacrificing their right to speak. Private businesses should be able to do as they like, but too often their choices are taken away from them. Increasingly, the government seeks to impose its political orthodoxy on the marketplace in ways subtle and not-so-subtle through professional licensing restrictions or through oath requirements. SLF knows that free speech rights don’t stop at the employer’s front door. That is why SLF uses the First Amendment to hold the government accountable when it attempts to regulate professional and commercial speech.
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SLF is dedicated to defending liberty and Rebuilding the American Republic®. Since 1976, SLF has been going to court for the American people when the government overreaches and violates your constitutional rights.
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