Exam: First Amendment Issues for Law Enforcement Agencies & Impact Of Social Media

Under the First Amendment public and private employers and employees are subject to the same rules concerning freedom expression.

Because of the First Amendment public employees can say or write whatever they want about their employers without risk of discipline.

Social media posts of a public employee are never protected by the First Amendment because they are not speech or the press.

Social media posts can be used to impeach witnesses who testify in court.

Employers can be liable for harassment based on private social media posts between co-workers if the employer does not act against the harassment.

Public employees never have a First Amendment right to speak on matters of public interest because they work for the government.

The First Amendment only applies to laws imposed by the federal government.

A public employee can always avoid discipline by claiming First Amendment protections.

Public employees can be disciplined if their social posts are false and defamatory.

Social media posts can never be the basis of discipline because of the protections of the First Amendment.