cr> Internet censorship in Loudon County libraries
April 7, 1998--IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: David Elliot, Delisa Saunders (202) 467-4999
Federal Refuses Effort to Dismiss Lawsuit
Challenging Unconstitutional Internet Policy
A lawsuit challenging the Loudoun County, Va., Library Board's
unconstitutional Internet censorship policy will proceed, after
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema on Tuesday denied a motion
to dismiss the case.
The lawsuit challenging the Internet policy was filed in December
by Mainstream Loudoun and a number of residents of Loudoun County.
People For the American Way Foundation and the Washington, D.C.
law firm of Hogan and Hartson L.L.P. are representing the plaintiffs
as co-counsel. The case is being decided in federal court in
Alexandria, Va.
"The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom
of speech, and as the Supreme Court recently stated, the Internet is
the democratic town square of the future and deserves the highest
First Amendment protection," said Carole Shields, president of People
For the American Way Foundation. "We are glad that the federal
judge chose not to dismiss this lawsuit. This is a tremendously important
case, not only for the citizens and parents of Loudoun County, but also
for communities across the country that are fighting against the
imposition of mandatory Internet blocking in their public libraries.
On behalf of parents and families in Loudoun County and across
he United States, we look forward to making our case in court."
Last October, the Loudoun County Library Board adopted a
policy requiring that filtering software be installed in all library
computers at all times for both adults and minors. In addition, the
Board ordered that the computers be placed in full view of library
staff, who are authorized to expel from the library anyone caught
trying to access prohibited material. The library subsequently
contracted with Log-On Data Corp., which manufactures a filtering
software known as X-Stop. In published reports and tests of the
software, X-Stop has been found to block access to numerous
sites containing mainstream, valuable, constitutionally protected
information.
People For the American Way Foundation is a 300,000-member
organization dedicated to defending civil rights; promoting the
democratic values of religious freedom, free speech and respect for
diversity; and developing a culture of opportunity and tolerance for
individual difference. PFAW served as co-counsel and co-plaintiff
in the lawsuit against the Communications Decency Act, which was
struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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