Spotlight PA, Other Newsrooms Sue Penn State Trustee Leaders Over ‘Gag Policy’ That Silences Members

Three Pennsylvania News Organizations Sue Penn State Board of Trustees Over Free Speech

Spotlight PA, the Centre Daily Times, and StateCollege.com have filed a federal lawsuit against the Penn State Board of Trustees over their new policies, citing restrictions on free speech and access to information under the First Amendment. In July 2024 and November 2025, Penn State changed its bylaws, requiring trustees to get approval from the University before speaking to the media in any capacity. The punishment can include sanctions or, in…

Centre County news outlets sue Penn State Board of Trustees over alleged First Amendment violations

Centre County news outlets are suing the Penn State Board of Trustees over alleged First Amendment violations due to updated bylaws which they allege control what trustees say to the press and public.

Spotlight PA, Other Newsrooms Sue Penn State Trustee Leaders Over ‘Gag Policy’ That Silences Members

Spotlight PA and two other news organizations are suing leaders of the Penn State Board of Trustees in federal court, accusing them of violating the First Amendment by controlling what individual trustees can say to the public and the press. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, challenges what it refers to as a “gag policy” embedded in the trustees’ bylaws. That policy, the filing argue…