# @mountainstateslegalfoundation on Facebook

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.facebook.com/1370578771764602/posts/722247659931053
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/63645718-mountainstateslegalfoundation-facebook
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/6a95853494.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-10-19T00:59:34.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Noah Deassunçao (@nd.imagery) — https://gondola.cc/nd.imagery

## Caption

William Felkner is a self-described conservative libertarian. He was also an aspiring social worker. William’s philosophical and political ideas are a rarity in that field.
Rather than engage with William’s minority viewpoints in good faith, professors at Rhode Island College were actively hostile telling William he wasn’t “cut out” to be a social worker because his views were not mainstream. They subjected him to discriminatory grading, initiated disciplinary action against him, and even compelled him to mouth agreement with social policies he did not support. RIC even imposed requirements that William actually lobby state legislators to pass bills he thought were terrible ideas. All of this eventually drove William out of the graduate program.
When William sued RIC for violating his First Amendment rights, the Rhode Island Supreme Court agreed he had been unjustly treated. And yet, the state’s high court gave the college a free pass. Why?
Two words: qualified immunity. The doctrine of qualified immunity essentially allows government actors to escape liability, despite the fact that they have violated a person’s constitutional rights. Under the doctrine, if a government actor can convince a court the law was not “clearly established” at the time they violated the individual’s rights and liberties, they can be absolved of their responsibility.

William has filed a petition asking the Supreme Court of the United States to take his appeal, arguing that RIC should not benefit from qualified immunity. Whatever validity the doctrine may have in some areas, it is inappropriate to apply it toward public schools and the First Amendment. #freespeech #qualifiedimmunity #violation #freedom #immunity #college #constitution #FreePass

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## Tags

violation, immunity, freespeech, freepass, constitution, college, qualifiedimmunity, freedom

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