In May, YouTube took down a video of a Shawnee Mission School District board meeting for "medical misinformation" stated during a discussion about masks. So the district stopped streaming the public comments segment of its meetings.
The decision was not unanimous. "There's so much good that comes of our public comment portion," said board member Jessica Hembree, "that I think that having it broadcast is useful for just government accessibility and transparency."
Board member Laura Guy expressed her concern over continuing to broadcast the meetings "without jeopardizing" their presence on the social media platform.
For those who think that YouTube violated the constitutional rights of speakers at the meeting, law professor Allen Rostron pointed out that "the First Amendment applies to governments. Like most constitutional rights, it can only be violated by governments," not by businesses like YouTube.
- Laura Guy, member, Shawnee Mission School Board
- Jessica Hembree, member, Shawnee Mission School Board
- Allen Rostron, professor, University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law
