HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM v. WILSON
Supreme Court Cases
595 U.S. ___ (2022)
Case Overview
Legal Principle at Issue
"Did the Board鈥檚 censure offend Mr. Wilson鈥檚 First Amendment right to free speech?"
Action
"Mr. Wilson does not possess an actionable First Amendment claim arising from the Board鈥檚 purely verbal censure."
Facts/Syllabus
"In 2013, David Wilson was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Houston Community College System (HCC), a public entity that operates various community colleges. Mr. Wilson often disagreed with the Board about the best interests of HCC, and he brought multiple lawsuits challenging the Board鈥檚 actions. By 2016, these escalating disagreements led the Board to reprimand Mr. Wilson publicly. Mr. Wilson continued to charge the Board鈥攊n media outlets as well as in state-court actions鈥攚ith violating its ethical rules and bylaws. At a 2018 meeting, the Board adopted another public resolution, this one 'censuring' Mr. Wilson and stating that Mr. Wilson鈥檚 conduct was 'not consistent with the best interests of the College' and 'not only inappropriate, but reprehensible.' The Board imposed penalties in addition to the verbal censure, among them deeming Mr. Wilson ineligible for Board officer positions during 2018. Mr. Wilson amended the pleadings in one of his pending state-court lawsuits to add claims against HCC and the trustees under 42 U.S.C. 搂1983, asserting that the Board鈥檚 censure violated the First Amendment."