A Mom's Fight for Free Speech in Wisconsin Schools

In Wisconsin, a mom and activist named Scarlett Johnson recently won a big legal victory. She was sued for defamation after she spoke out against her school district's focus on social justice. Johnson, who leads the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, made some strong comments on social media. She questioned why the school district had a "Social Justice Coordinator" and called out what she saw as unnecessary and divisive practices. The person who sued Johnson was Mary MacCudden, a former teacher and the very same "Social Justice Coordinator. " MacCudden took issue with Johnson's posts, which also described DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) specialists as "woke lunatics" and "bullies. " Johnson argued that her words were just opinions, not facts, and that she had the right to express them. The case went to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, which ruled in Johnson's favor. The court said her comments were opinions and not defamatory because they couldn't be proven true or false. Terms like "bully" and "lunatic" are subjective, and words like "woke" and "White savior" are too vague to be considered defamatory. One judge disagreed, though. They thought the posts might have implied hidden facts that a jury should look into. But the majority ruled in Johnson's favor, saying her speech was protected under the First Amendment. Johnson saw the lawsuit as an attempt to silence her and other parents who speak out against DEI programs. She recalled facing similar legal threats before a school board election, which she believed was a way to intimidate her. She decided to fight back this time to set a precedent for other parents. "I felt I had to stand up, " Johnson said. "This would never stop if I didn't. " She hopes the ruling will encourage other parents to speak out against what they see as radical ideologies in schools without fear of being sued. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL), which represented Johnson, praised the ruling. They said it affirmed that everyone has the right to question and criticize their government. The legal team was pleased that the court agreed and that Johnson could move on from the case.