1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Law with June Bresso from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Vanessa Brian thanked the fans as thousands gathered to celebrate 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: the lives of her husband, Kobe Bryant, and their daughter 4 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,799 Speaker 1: Jeanna at l A Staples Center after their deaths in 5 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: a helicopter crash in January. Of the outpouring of love 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: and support that my family has felt from around the 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: world has been so uplifting. Now Bryant is taking on 8 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: Los Angeles County in federal court, saying her privacy was 9 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: invaded when sheriff's deputies and firefighters shared crash site photos 10 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: with their friends and colleagues. Join me is Warrington Parker, 11 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: a partner Crowell and Mooring, explain what her causes of 12 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: action are. She is doing over three different things. One 13 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: is the invasion of her right to privacy, that is 14 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: that people have a right to prior to see as 15 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 1: to photos and content of materials relating to the death 16 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: of a loved one. The second is negligent that l 17 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: a county in the Sheriff's department the fire department of 18 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: the individuals negligent may disclose these materials, which are the 19 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: photos of Kobe Bryant and his daughter. And then the 20 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 1: third is a statutory client. It's called the section actions, 21 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: which is that constitutional deprocess likes were violated by the 22 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: disclosure of the various photographs. Are any of these claims 23 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: unique in this kind of situation, It is certainly unique. 24 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: This doesn't happen every day, but in reading the various papers, 25 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: there appears to be cases that have dealt with these 26 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: issues before. And part of the legal tension in the 27 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: case is are these claims viable? And certainly the defendants 28 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: are saying that they're not viable. For example, defense that 29 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: they're saying it's not enough just to have a private photo. Instead, 30 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: there needs to be more publicity, such as it being 31 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: on the Internet and so on. And MS Bryant's council 32 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: has pointed out that in fact are cases where it 33 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: does not need to be made public, that this is enough. 34 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: I think that legal tension may under alive this That 35 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: may be an issue in part going to the jury, 36 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: but mainly that's going to ultimately be an issue for 37 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: the court. A primary issue in the case is whether 38 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: she suffered emotional distress as a result of the County's 39 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: actions and how much it should be compensated for that. 40 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: So Los Angeles County officials are arguing. One thing they're 41 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: arguing is that she suffered emotional distress from the death 42 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: of her husband and daughter, rather than distress that the 43 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: photos were leaked. How can a jury separate those well, 44 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: emotional distress damages are always a very difficult thing, both 45 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: to prove and to disprove. Right, it's just how much 46 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: are you hurt? And there's no clear marker for that. However, 47 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 1: I think the County has a difficult time with that 48 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: argument made. Certainly without any dispute. Someone suffers emotional distress 49 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: when a loved one dies. But I think it is 50 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: within the realm of experience and probability that you can 51 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: exacerbate that emotional distress by mistreating the body, mistreating the 52 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: family of loved ones, or taking photos really according to 53 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: appointness at least almost like there was a trophy hunting 54 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: type of experience. And I think think any rational person 55 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: can separate out one trauma from another. Now, does that 56 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: impact your damages? Perhaps, yes, It doesn't make it impossible 57 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: to conceive that she suffered additional emotional distress because of 58 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: these photos. I don't think that's true. Bryant's expert witness 59 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: testified that Los Angeles cops and deputies keep what's called 60 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: Google books with graphic photos of dead celebrities. Isn't that 61 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: testimony about other officers prejudicial in this case? So I 62 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: think it is prejudicial, but it's it's wrongfully prejudicial. I 63 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: think is the question right? It certainly hurts in that 64 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: way it's prejudicial, but I think the question is legally 65 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: as the prejudicial. I think when the defendants opened by 66 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: saying that this is all part of a train exercise 67 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: for the distribution was necessary, I think it opened the 68 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: door to precisely this type of evidence, because it certainly 69 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: shines the light on on the truth or not of 70 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: the statement that the distribution of the taken of the 71 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: pose and in the distribution was for the purpose of 72 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: training for some necessary a rather than being a entry 73 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: in the Ghoul book. The defense wanted to show Instagram 74 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: photos of you know, Brian's social media posts that show 75 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: her and her family on lavish vacations and socializing with 76 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: celebrities since the death of her husband. It hasn't come 77 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: in so far. I don't know whether that would come 78 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: in if I had to handicap it, I would say 79 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: that's not coming in because however rich and famous you are, 80 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: and and and I understand they're playing that up. That 81 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: doesn't mean that you can't suffer emotional distress. Now, if 82 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:25,799 Speaker 1: they're saying that these photos are inconsistent with that claim 83 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: of emotional distress, but that's different. And so as an example, 84 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: it's well known in the insurance world that if someone 85 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: is claiming back injuring collecting insurance, they'll often be photos 86 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: taken or video taken of that person lifting heavy boxes 87 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: and so on. And that's perfectly admissible. But merely to 88 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: show someone has the ability to live in a rich 89 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: lifestyle isn't sufficient to rebut a claim of emotional distress. 90 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: There is one photo of her on Halloween dressed as 91 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 1: Kruella de Ville. The talks about the stages of grief, 92 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: and she adds one called revenge. Might that have some bearing, 93 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: perhaps but fairly minimal. The fact that she's thinking to 94 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: vindicate her right. Whether you call it revenge or you 95 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: call it thinking to vindicate what you think is a wrongdoing, 96 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: is I think well within the norm? Which side do 97 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: you think has the better case here? Right now, I 98 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: like pointest chances, and let me tell you what I'm thinking. 99 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: You have a case where word photos were taken and 100 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: there is a history of these photos being taken in 101 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: a Google book. You have a case in which people 102 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: have at least as points painted have lied outright lie 103 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: about what they did with the photos and why. You 104 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:52,599 Speaker 1: have the defendant saying that these photos were taken and 105 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: then distributed for the purposes of training. But you have 106 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: them distributed at a bar, you have them distributed to 107 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: a been playing a video game, you have them distributed 108 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: at an awards ceremony. That doesn't make sense. You didn't 109 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: have these arguments about foliation of evidence. And I know 110 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: that the defendants are saying that the reason that they 111 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: immediately told people to remove it from their phones in 112 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: order to mitigate any continuing harm. But there was no 113 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: attempt to ensure that these photos were in fact destroyed, 114 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: and it looks more like they were trying to cover 115 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: up more than anything else included though in that To 116 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: have the extra spite is you have at least one 117 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: of the deputy high up deputy saying, should we really 118 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: do this? We've gotten in trouble before for this and 119 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: I'm paraporting, and so even at that time, there's a 120 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: bit of distinction about this. I would add just to 121 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: two more points. First of all, you know, Kobe Bryant 122 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: is a well known figure in Los Angeles. His wife 123 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: is a well known figure in last area, Joyce, and 124 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: no one thinks anything bad about this. Contrast that to 125 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: the Los Angeles Police Department in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office, 126 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: where at least the Sheriff's Office has very recently been 127 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: in the news for threatening a newspaper reporter and otherwise 128 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: doesn't necessarily have the best pr campaign in the world. 129 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: I think these other things that will weigh in points 130 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: favor how much money they collect, how much money is 131 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: awarded as a completely different question. But on the issue 132 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: of liability, if I were handicapping it, I would put 133 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: my money on point. And what do you think the 134 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: biggest legal hurdle is for Bryant. I think that the 135 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: biggest legal hurdle will be whether or not what happened 136 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: here is consistent with a viable claim under the law. 137 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: And defendants are certainly saying, with no exception that this 138 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: is not cognizable under the law, that it does not 139 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: fall within the scope. Prior case, Los Angeles County agreed 140 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 1: to pay two and a half million dollars to settle 141 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: a similar case brought by two families whose relatives died 142 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: in the crash. That indicate to you that Vanessa Briant 143 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: is asking for more than that, or there are reports 144 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: that she just didn't want to settle. I don't know 145 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: the answer, at least believe that she must have been 146 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 1: asking for more. Just finally, I'll ask you about the jury. 147 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: The jury includes a nun, someone who works in TV production, 148 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,959 Speaker 1: a college student, a real estate investor, a pharmaceutical researcher, 149 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: a computer professor, and a restaurant host. So a real 150 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: cross section of l A. That's a very educated jury 151 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: for the commany of l A. It's a cross section. Um, 152 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: it's both educated and come with work experience. But this 153 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: is also a function of it being in federal court, 154 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 1: where I think the voting wills supply the names of 155 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: a jury. But in l A County or the Central 156 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: District of California, which includes more than l A County, UM, 157 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: you can get people who are much less educated and 158 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: experienced than this jury. I tend to think that that's 159 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: also weighs in favor of points if in this case, 160 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:17,959 Speaker 1: I don't think this is the case where you need 161 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: to have a jury with less experience or less education. 162 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: Thanks for being on the show. That's Warrington Parker, a 163 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: partner Crowell and Mooring. There has been a dramatic uptick 164 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: in banning books, book bands, and challenges doubled from one 165 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: according to the American Library Association, and it seems to 166 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,839 Speaker 1: reflect the growing polarization in our country. Joining me is 167 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: First Amendment expert Eugene Polk, a professor at u c 168 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: l A Law School. Eugene tell us about the one 169 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 1: Supreme Court case about school libraries where the split was 170 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 1: four for one. Well, let's just first step back. One 171 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: thing that the said in that case. Basically all the 172 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 1: justices agreed that curriculum decisions what to include in the 173 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: reading materials for a class are basically up to the school. 174 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 1: So the school can say we just don't think this 175 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: book is suitable for a class for whatever reason. We 176 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: just don't think this is the kind of book we 177 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:23,559 Speaker 1: should be studying it in class. So that's one thing, 178 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: just to make clear. The other thing that that the 179 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 1: court actually never did he has used the word ban 180 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: with regard to remove of books from the library school library, 181 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,560 Speaker 1: because it's not a ban, it's a choice about which 182 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: books to include in which books to exclude, in a 183 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: situation where of course, the library has to be making 184 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 1: these choices all the time, right First of all, it 185 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: has only limited space, and second, unlike a public library, 186 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 1: it's supposed to be focusing on books that are special 187 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: interest in value to children. So the court understood that 188 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: it wasn't a ban of a book, it was a 189 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: choice to remove a book from the library. And the 190 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: other thing that basically everybody on the court agreed on 191 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 1: is that if the removal was on grounds that it 192 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: was not age suitable, for example, because it was pervasively vulgar, 193 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: which is to say view by the school is pervasively vulgar. 194 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: Obviously people disagree on such matters or otherwise not age appropriate, 195 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 1: that the school would be entitled to remove. The issue 196 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 1: on which the court split four four is whether a 197 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: library once and by the way, pretty much everybody also 198 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 1: agreed that a library can decide what books to get 199 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: in the first place, based on more or less whatever 200 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: criteria the library wants. But the courts split four four 201 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,679 Speaker 1: on this question of whether a library can rem or 202 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: a school system can remove a book from the library 203 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 1: because of the book's ideology. Could it say this book 204 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 1: is unpatriotic or perhaps today it would be questioned, is 205 00:12:55,600 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: it anti gay or is it unduly pro gay, or 206 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: setting aside whether whether there's explicit sexual discussion there, or 207 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: whether it's racist, or whether it's for trays smoking in 208 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: a positive light, although maybe that's also a matter of 209 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 1: age appropriateness. So in any event that the court split 210 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: on four four, how did that happen? Why four four 211 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: when there were nine justice? Well, for Justice is basically 212 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 1: said the school can't discriminate based on ideology more or 213 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: less in removing books. And because there's a dispute on 214 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: the real reason why they discriminated based on ideology, this 215 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: case should be sent back down for further fact finding 216 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: on what the real reason that was. For Justice more 217 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: or less the liberal justice then the more or less 218 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 1: conservative justices, four of them said school is perfectly free 219 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 1: to discriminate based on ideal that you may be not 220 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 1: in extreme situations like if it's actually partisan, we won't 221 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: have any books by Republican writers or any books by 222 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:56,599 Speaker 1: democratic writers. But setting aside extreme situation like that a 223 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: school is free to discriminate based on ideology, so therefore 224 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,439 Speaker 1: there's no need to send the case back. Justice White 225 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: was the swing vote. And here's what he said. There's 226 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: this factual dispute as to what the reason was why 227 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: the school removed the books. If it turns out that 228 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: it removed the books because they were pervasively vulgar otherwise 229 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: not inappropriate, then no constitutional problem. Everybody agrees. If it 230 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: turns out they did it for ideological reasons, then there 231 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: might or might not be a constitutional problem. Could be 232 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: that the liberal justices are right, could be conservative justice right. 233 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: I don't have to decide it. We don't have to decide. 234 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: The better route is to wait until we figure out 235 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: the real reason for the removal and then resolved this 236 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: First Amendment question of whether that reason is a permissible reason. 237 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 1: And that's why he agreed with the liberals solely on 238 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: the question whether the case should be sent back down 239 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 1: for further fact find So he expressly declined to go 240 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: along either with the descent position on the substantive issue 241 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: or with the liberals. Hesited called a plurality explurality often 242 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: means the opinion that got the most votes but actually 243 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: got the same number of votes as the descent for basically, so, 244 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: White concluded that he didn't didn't agree with either of 245 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: them because he didn't agree that this issue should even 246 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: be decided until necessary. So then do you agree? In 247 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 1: a case in Missouri, a judge rejected the student's request 248 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: for a preliminary injunction, and he questioned their reliance on 249 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: Justice Brennan's plurality opinion in that case, So do you 250 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: agree with that that there really isn't a majority opinion 251 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: to rely on there? There definitely is not a majority 252 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: opinion to rely on in Pico, And in fact, quite 253 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: a few lower courts have taken that view that basically 254 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: there's nothing in Pico to follow. I mean, there are 255 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: arguments that we should pay attention to, but they do 256 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 1: not resolve this issue. He's having been said there was 257 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: an Eighth Circuit opinion, of course, but he said, even 258 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: under that opinion, which might be said to kind of 259 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 1: go along with the liberals position, even if that opinion 260 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: is still binding, it's an old case. Even so, books 261 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: could be removed because of their pervasive vulgarity, which is 262 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: a pervasive sexual content, or let even the pervasive because 263 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: of substantial sexual content. And these particular three books sure 264 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: did have sexual cunt and a school is entitled to say, 265 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: we're not banning it. Students can get them in lots 266 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: of other ways, but we're not going to be providing 267 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: to our students books with that kind of sexual content. 268 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: So besides sexual content, as you refer to, a lot 269 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: of books are being challenged because they deal with LGBTQ 270 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 1: issues or racism. Well, let's say just a school board 271 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: camp chigns if we want to take these books off 272 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: the shelves, what would be the reasons that you would 273 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: say are legally substantial? Would hold in court? Sure, So 274 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: I would say, look, if you want to not include 275 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: them in your curriculum, if you want to not include 276 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: them as assigned or recommended readings, you're perfectly free to 277 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 1: do that. Setting aside a few situations under the establishment clause. 278 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: I suppose if they insist that everybody read the Bible 279 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: as devotional materials, that's not allowed. But that's not free 280 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: speech issue. That's an establishment close issue. So setting that aside, 281 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: if you think this is a bad history book, then 282 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,639 Speaker 1: you shouldn't assign it to have it be assigned in 283 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: your placess If you think that this material is highly 284 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: sexually themed, and if you think for good reason it's 285 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: highly sexually themed, you're not just making that out. But 286 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: but if it is highly sexually themed or otherwise, you 287 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 1: can show his age inappropriate. Maybe because it describes things 288 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: are very gra violent in a very graphical way, and 289 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,640 Speaker 1: it's an elementary school library left there some such then 290 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: in that case you're also free to remove it. If 291 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: you think that these are kind of portray or convey 292 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 1: ideas that you disapprove of, whether ideas one or or 293 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:07,399 Speaker 1: the other about sexual orientation or about gender identity, or 294 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: about American history, about race, or about the environment, or 295 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: about whatever else, then you know it might be unconstitutional 296 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,880 Speaker 1: for you to remove them from public school library shelves. 297 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: So that's so then you're worried, and you should be 298 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: worried about a lawsuit in this kind of situation, because 299 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:27,640 Speaker 1: there is a plausible claim against that. Then just keep 300 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: them on the shelves. Presumably your most students don't go 301 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: down to the library these days to read just right 302 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 1: and them say history books, maybe it would be good 303 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 1: if more students did. But my sense is that the 304 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: problem most schools of students are reading too few of 305 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: them are other than too many or the wrong kinds. 306 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: And if it's not in the curriculum, it's probably not 307 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: going to be much of an issue unless you try 308 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 1: to exclude them and make it an issue, and then 309 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:52,719 Speaker 1: people will fail a lot more attention to them. Like 310 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:57,360 Speaker 1: my understanding is that when this school to in Tennessee, 311 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: try to remove I think, not from the library shelves, 312 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: but from actual the curriculum, which are perfectly free to do. 313 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 1: Remove Mouse the graphic novel because there were a few 314 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: relatively mild vulgarities there. There was that, and there was nudity. 315 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:15,199 Speaker 1: You know, this is nudity of a mouse. I mean 316 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,640 Speaker 1: the pomorphic mouse, to be sure about a mouse um 317 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 1: who I'm told in the state of nature tend to 318 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 1: be nude. I think so from everything I know exactly. 319 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: So the result was a lot more attention to mouse 320 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,360 Speaker 1: and a lot more people buying mouse, I am told. So. 321 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: I think it's a mistake for school boards to remove 322 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 1: things from library shelves because of their ideas. I think 323 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,640 Speaker 1: it actually sends a bad message in many ways to students, 324 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: and I think it practically has very little effect in 325 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,360 Speaker 1: the symbolic effect may in fact be bad relevant good, 326 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: and the practical effect may be contraproductive. Because of this, 327 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,400 Speaker 1: I guess what's called the band in Boston phenomenon. I'm 328 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 1: told that back in the day when there really were 329 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: bands and not just exclusives from library shelves, bands of movies, 330 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:02,199 Speaker 1: movies couldn't be shown if the local sensors forbade it, 331 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,880 Speaker 1: and I think maybe even books couldn't be sold. Boston 332 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: was known as being a place that would ban a 333 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,159 Speaker 1: lot of things in the grounds of their selations, and 334 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: those places proudly labeled their items as banned in Boston 335 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: in other cities because that sort of showed that they 336 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:22,399 Speaker 1: were racy. In Virginia, there's a different situation of former 337 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: congressional member is trying to seek a ban on the 338 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: sale of certain books that he says are obscene. So 339 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: this would be stripping the right to sell a book 340 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:36,679 Speaker 1: from a Barnes and Noble, or you can't sell this 341 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,879 Speaker 1: book to a minor. Is that different? Yes? It is? 342 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 1: I mean that really is there we are talking about banning, 343 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 1: We're talking and not just about the government choosing what 344 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 1: to include in its school library, much less school curriculum. 345 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 1: It's choosing what private parties can distribute to other private 346 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: parties in public places. So my understanding of the Virginia 347 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: lawsuit is that there's already a law I think in 348 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 1: Virginia that pre inhibits bookstores from selling material that's obscene 349 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: as to miners to miners, So you don't need a 350 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: specialized lawsuit for that, I think. Of course, then the 351 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: question is what is obscene as to minors, and the 352 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: answers has to be pretty pornographic. Simply, something that has 353 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 1: as part of a novel some sexual elements is not 354 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 1: going to make the work o scene. So I think 355 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,880 Speaker 1: he's trying to get the stuff removed from the shelves 356 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: even where miners could browse. So he actually got a 357 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: court to issue restraining order finding there's probable cause to 358 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,920 Speaker 1: believe that a court of mist and fury is obscene 359 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: for unrestricted viewing by miners. So there it's not just 360 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 1: at the checkout counter they have to card the buyer. 361 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 1: It sounds like this was actually an attempt to try 362 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: to get to the material from being even put on 363 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: the shelves where miners could browse it, which is a 364 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: much more serious bird. So the general rule is that 365 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 1: a law that says you can't distribute so called harmful 366 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: to miners, or more precisely obscene as to miners material 367 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: two miners is constitutional the Supreme Court so held fifty 368 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: plus years ago. But to be obscene as to minors, 369 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 1: it has to lack serious artistic or literary or scientific 370 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: or political value for miners. Taken as a whole. It 371 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: has to appeal to the shameful or morbid interest in 372 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: sex of miners. Again, taken as a whole, and it's 373 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 1: got to be patently offensive under community standards when distributed 374 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,200 Speaker 1: to miners because of the way it described sex or 375 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: pass excretion. So you can imagine let's say some porn 376 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 1: magazine which is allowed for adults, but can't be distributed 377 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:43,680 Speaker 1: to miners under that standard. However, if it's a well 378 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 1: received novel that, in the process of describing what happened 379 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: to the characters, has sex scenes, then I think taken 380 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: as a whole, this reviewed as having serious value, especially 381 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 1: for older miners, and taken as a whole reviewed does 382 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 1: not appealing to the shameful or morbid interested sex. So 383 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: I think that as a practical matter, that kind of 384 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: law is actually quite narrow, and it looks like that 385 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,680 Speaker 1: lawsuit is trying to actually apply it too books that 386 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 1: do not fit that narrow definition, and on top of 387 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,920 Speaker 1: that also bar them from even being available on the 388 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: normal shelves, which may be constitutionally permissible against some at 389 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: least obstatist of minors material, but it's surely an even 390 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: more clear burden on constitutional rights when applied to these 391 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 1: kinds of novel, precisely because then that interferes with adults 392 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,800 Speaker 1: ability to privately look at those books, as well as 393 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: the miners built in this age where you can get 394 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: almost anything on the internet, why do you think the 395 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:46,639 Speaker 1: request to remove materials from schools or libraries hit a 396 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: record since they've been counting it since two thousand one? 397 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:55,360 Speaker 1: Is it politics? So let me broaden this question. Given 398 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: that it's so easy to get things on the internet, 399 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:02,680 Speaker 1: you might imagine a people would say, what's the point 400 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,919 Speaker 1: of removing it from the library. It's still so easily accessible. 401 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: And you might also say people would say, why should 402 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:11,719 Speaker 1: we care if someone removes it from the library. It's 403 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 1: still easily accessible. So you might ask, why are both 404 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: advocates of these removals and enemies of these removals adversaries 405 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: of these removals? Why are they so concerned about it? 406 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 1: And I think the answer is that it is at 407 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 1: least partly symbolic. I think a lot of people are 408 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:34,400 Speaker 1: really upset not just that there is this highly sexually 409 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: explicit material out there, but that their tax dollars in 410 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 1: the schools that they run, that supposedly their representatives run, 411 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: are being used to distribute what they view as material 412 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: that's highly inappropriate for their children. And this is perfectly understandable. 413 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: I mean, imagine, for example, there was a library had 414 00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 1: Mind comproments shop, public school library a Mind for the show. 415 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: I think nothing wrong with that. It's an important work 416 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,679 Speaker 1: of world politics. I certainly don't want any to be 417 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:09,400 Speaker 1: persuaded by it. But if you want a really rich 418 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: and deep understanding of Nazi era history, surely you have 419 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: to read that. Of course, most high school students don't 420 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: want a really rich understanding, but if they knew, more 421 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: power to them. Would it shock me if somebody says 422 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 1: it's outrageous that we have Mind come not just in 423 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 1: a library, but on a school library, and it wouldn't 424 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:29,360 Speaker 1: shock me, wouldn't surprise me. And if there somebody were 425 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:30,880 Speaker 1: to say, well wait a minute, you could probably Google 426 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: for my company find all of these free copies that say, well, okay, fine, 427 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: let them find it on Google. Let them not come 428 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: up with it in the school library with kind of 429 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: the school's impromoter. So I could totally understand that. So likewise, 430 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: with regard to situations where people think, you know, not 431 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 1: only is there talk in these books about kind of 432 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 1: sexual behavior that we would rather our children not engage in, 433 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 1: but on top of that, it's really highly graphic. It's 434 00:25:57,560 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 1: the kind of thing that we wouldn't want in our house. 435 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: Is just because of the review those passages is actually pornographic, 436 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: But I think the main reasons are symbolic on both 437 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 1: sides of the debate. Thanks so much, Eugene. That's Professor 438 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: Eugene Wallak of u c l A Law School, And 439 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 1: that's it for the edition of the Bloomberg Law Show. 440 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 1: Remember you can always get the latest legal news on 441 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,959 Speaker 1: our Bloomberg Law Podcast. You can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 442 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 1: and at www dot Bloomberg dot com. Slash podcast, Slash law. 443 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:29,639 Speaker 1: I'm June Grasso and you're listening to Bloomberg