Pennsbury School Board Lawsuit Hearing Is Underway

YARDLEY, PA — The lawsuit filed against the Pennsbury School Board last month is having its first hearing on Monday, Nov. 8.

The suit was filed by four community members who came to a school board meeting to voice their concerns about hot-button issues like Critical Race Theory and general school curriculum before being silenced by board members during the meeting.

Plantiffs Tim Daly, Simon Campbell, Douglas Marshall, and Robert Abrams filed the suit on Friday, Oct. 1, and are being represented by attorneys at the Institute for Free Speech, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.

Each plaintiff claims the School Board compromised their First Amendment rights after they had their public comments interrupted during a now infamous school board meeting, which shows board members interrupting and yelling at the plaintiffs. Pennsbury Assistant Solicitor Peter Amuso notably told several of the plaintiffs "You're done!" in order to stop the criticism of the board's various decisions the plaintiffs brought up during their opportunities to speak directly to the board.

The Pennsbury School District has made headlines in the last couple of months related to public opinions on their stance regrinding the masking of children and the subsequent lawsuit filed by parents who feel the policy has negative implications on their children. Pennsbury School Board of Directors president Christine Toy-Dragoni said she was contacting the FBI after she and several other board members allegedly received threatening messages due to board decisions; a later anti-hate vigil was set up in solidarity with the board members.

According to Luke Wachob, Communications Director of the Institute for Free Speech, the suit's first hearing is underway as of Monday, Nov. 8. Additional details from the suit will be made available in the near future; more information will be made available soon.