FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
The New England First Amendment Coalition is co-sponsoring a panel discussion on free speech, exploring First Amendment principles and how constitutional freedoms can be protected.
The program is at 7 p.m. on Jan. 11 at Kellogg-Hubbard Library, located at 135 Main Street in Montpelier, Vt.
The event is also sponsored by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library and the League of Women Voters of Vermont.
David Moats, an author and Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer at the Rutland Herald will be the moderator.
Speakers include:
Michael Donoghue | Donoghue is NEFAC’s first vice president. He was an award-winning writer for the Burlington Free Press for over 40 years and has been an adjunct professor of journalism and mass communications at St. Michael’s College in Colchester since 1985. Donoghue has been an officer with the Vermont Press Association since 1979 and a former board member for the New England Press Association.
Lia Ernst | A member of NEFAC’s Board of Directors, Ernst is a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, where she litigates civil liberties, civil rights, and open government cases; advocates before state and municipal governmental bodies on ACLU legislative priorities; and educates community groups on protecting and exercising their rights. Ernst is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.
Peter R. Teachout | A professor at Vermont Law School, Teachout is recognized for his expertise regarding the constitutional law and history of Vermont and the United States. His expertise has been frequently tapped by Vermont’s Legislature and judiciary, which has sought his testimony and advice on, among other things, flag desecration legislation and the redrafting of the state Constitution in gender-neutral language.
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
Major Supporters of NEFAC for this year include the Barr Foundation, The Providence Journal Charitable Legacy Fund, The Robertson Foundation, Lois Howe McClure, The Boston Globe and Boston University. Celebration Supporters include The Hartford Courant and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.