New Jersey Senate Republicans

09/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2026 09:04

O’Scanlon Highlights Free-Speech Legislation Following Court Ruling

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O'Scanlon Highlights Free-Speech Legislation Following Court Ruling

Declan O'Scanlon Posted on September 23, 2026

In light of recent news that a federal judge has dismissed an Alloway school board member's lawsuit alleging state officials had restricted her First Amendment right to free speech, Senator Declan O'Scanlon (R-Monmouth) released the following statement highlighting his legislation, S-4091.

Specifically, the bill clarifies that the "School Ethics Act" cannot be used to prohibit or limit a board of education member from speaking on a matter of public concern.

"School board members are elected to speak with the people they represent, not to sit quietly in the corner and hope nobody asks them a question about what's happening in their own school district," said Sen. O'Scanlon. "They should be able to talk openly with parents, taxpayers, and their neighbors about school budgets, policies, and other issues of public concern without wondering whether an honest conversation is going to result in an ethics complaint. If we create a system where elected officials are afraid to speak candidly with the people who elected them, we haven't strengthened ethical government, we've made it less transparent, less accountable, and less connected to the communities it is supposed to serve."

You can read the full bill here.

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