Victory for Free Speech in Crucial ‘Lyle’ Decision

Last weekend’s Wall Street Journal included an editorial by FIRE cofounder and director Harvey Silverglate about an important legal victory for free speech. In Lyle v. Warner Brothers, the makers of the Friends television show were sued for sexual harassment by a scriptwriters’ assistant who heard bawdy banter during the comedy writers’ meetings. FIRE joined an amicus brief in Lyle, opposing the lower court’s decision to let the case go forward. Silverglate explains why the California Supreme Court’s decision that this was not sexual harassment is good news for freedom of speech, especially on our nation’s college campuses.