Legal briefs of interest: Supreme Court denies free speech rights by Christian employee, student; Washington judge admonished for refusing to perform “same-sex marriage”

The Supreme Court has denied a request by a former University of Toledo employee who wrote an op-ed column expressing her views against same-sex marriage. The court ruled that the former employee’s First Amendment rights were not violated by the University.

The high court also refused to review a free speech claim by a middle school student, co-president of the student council who was not allowed to close a school assembly with a blessing for her classmates.

And in the State of Washington, the state’s commission on judicial conduct has reprimanded a state trial court judge who stated that he would not perform so-called same sex marriages. The commission cited the judicial code of conduct which says judges are “to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety by acting at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in their independence, integrity and impartiality.”