>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PRESS RELEASE -- People For the American Way Foundation http://www.pfaw.org/news/ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 17, 2000 CONTACT: Media Relations Department at 202-467-4999 ______________________________________________________________________ NASHUA LIBRARY BROAD RESCINDS UNCONSTITUTIONAL INTERNET FILTERING POLICY After a threat of legal action from a local citizens' group, a New Hampshire public library board has decided to drop a mandatory, one-size-fits-all Internet filtering policy. Last night, the Nashua Public Library Board of Trustees unanimously voted to rescind a policy requiring filtered Internet access for every library user. On June 29, lawyers with People For the American Way Foundation and a group of lawyers from New England sent a letter to members of the Board of Trustees informing them that they had been retained as legal counsel by a group of Nashua citizens opposed to the library's unconstitutionally broad and restrictive policy. The New England attorneys included Selena Fitanides and Andrew J. Camelio of the Boston law firm of Bingham Dana LLP, as well as Jon Meyer of the Manchester firm Backus, Meyer, Solomon, Rood and Branch, as coordinating attorney for the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union. The letter from PFAWF and its co-counsel charged that the library policy violated the First Amendment and subverted the library's own mission to serve "the educational, informational and recreational needs of Nashua." The letter pointed out that the library's policy would bar citizens from accessing valuable information, such as information concerning health issues, and deny parents and families their right to make choices regarding their children's use of the Internet. The letter urged the library board to rescind the Internet filtering policy or face a legal challenge by the Nashua-based First Amendment Legal Defense Fund. With last night's vote, the screening software, "Surfwatch," will be removed from all of the library's computers, except for one in the children's room. The software blocks information in five broad categories, which include violence; sexually explicit material; hate speech; drugs/alcohol/tobacco; and gambling. Filtering programs, however, are not suited to a system of public access to information. Some websites blocked by Surfwatch at the Nashua library included a New York Times story on real-life television, a religious article on the revelation of God through the birth of Jesus, and a University of Washington scientific abstract on frogs - apparently because the abstract included the word "sex." "We are pleased with this important step by the Nashua Library Board of Trustees toward ensuring unencumbered access to information through the Internet," said PFAWF President Ralph G. Neas. "It is our hope that the library's action will now allow all of its patrons the right to access information without government interference." "I'm happy that the Nashua Library Board of Trustees has finally voted to start to bring its library policy into line with the Bill of Rights," said Art Ketchen, president of the First Amendment Legal Defense Fund. "We will be watching to see what kind of policy the board now uses; but taking off filters on all the adult terminals is a step in the right direction." In a case decided in federal court last year, a similar Internet filtering policy in Loudoun County, Virginia, was struck down as unconstitutional. PFAWF represented the plaintiffs in that case. Additionally, a California state court has thrown out a challenge by a library patron who wanted a Livermore library to impose mandatory Internet filtering. In Holland, Michigan, last fall, voters rejected an Internet filtering ballot initiative promoted by Religious Right organizations. Learn more about First Amendment rights at: http://www.pfaw.org/issues/expression/ ====================================================================== PFAWF Press Releases -- http://www.pfaw.org/news/ ====================================================================== ************************************************************************** Subscribe to Freematt's Alerts: Pro-Individual Rights Issues Send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the words subscribe FA on the subject line. List is private and moderated (7-30 messages per month) Matthew Gaylor,1933 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., PMB 176, Columbus, OH 43229 (614) 313-5722 Archived at http://www.egroups.com/list/fa/ **************************************************************************
