Augusta school board settles federal free speech lawsuit

The Augusta Board of Education and Nicholas Blanchard, also known as ‘Corn Pop’, have reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit alleging that the board’s public comment policy violated First Amendment rights.

Blanchard filed the lawsuit in January after claiming that Board Chair Martha Witham and the board repeatedly interrupted him and ordered him to stop speaking during meetings. Following a federal judge’s injunction in April, which prohibited the board from enforcing certain aspects of the policy regarding gossip and vulgar language, the board amended its policy in May.

The proposed settlement terms require the board to permanently comply with the injunction. Superintendent Mike Tracy stated that the school department is committed to supporting First Amendment rights and chose to resolve the case rather than spend resources defending a policy that had already been repealed. The settlement, which awaits judicial approval, also includes a payment to Blanchard.