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ARTICLE · 18 JUNE 2024

Court Rules On Use Of Modified American Flag

Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, PC
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In Springfield Township, 15 miles from Philadelphia, some police organizations and their members began to display the flag, which the court defined as Thin Blue Line American Flag (the "Flag") in various ways.

United StatesLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
William Borchard
William Borchard

In Springfield Township, 15 miles from Philadelphia, some police organizations and their members began to display the flag, which the court defined as Thin Blue Line American Flag (the "Flag") in various ways, including as part of the Police Benevolent Association's logo.

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The Township objected and quickly adopted a resolution in prohibiting in part:

the publicly visible display or use of any image which depicts the Thin Blue Line American Flag symbol by any Township employee, agent, or consultant.

Two Township police organizations and three police officers, fearing punitive action against them, sued the Township and its officers in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. They asked the Court to have this resolution declared to be an unconstitutional restriction on employee speech under the First Amendment.

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