Emphasizing Limitations of Qualified Immunity and Upholding First Amendment Protection for Speakers at School-Board Meetings

Huggins v. School District of Manatee County

By Evan Isbill

In Huggins v. School District of Manatee County, the Eleventh Circuit addressed claims of speech restriction and First Amendment retaliation against a community member in Manatee County, Florida against the school district’s Board, and in their individual and official capacities the school superintendent, the board’s chief of security, the Board’s communications director, and a city police officer. Specifically, the plaintiff alleged that his removal from a November 2019 school board meeting violated his First Amendment right to free expression. The Eleventh Circuit’s decision highlights the enduring strength of First Amendment protections for citizens addressing matters of public concern before local governing bodies. In 2019 the Board had recently taken control of Lincoln Memorial, a Black-owned charter school in Manatee County. This decision drew significant criticism from several community members, including Plaintiff Appellant Arthur Huggins. Huggins and other community members began to speak out against the decision by attending Board meetings, which eventually led to a heated meeting in July 2019, where a community member was . . . .

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