Refusing to wear masks isn’t free speech, appeals court rules

TRENTON, N.J. -- A federal appeals court shot down claims Monday that New Jersey residents' refusal to wear masks at school board meetings during the covid-19 outbreak constituted protected speech under the First Amendment. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in two related cases stemming from lawsuits against officials in Freehold and Cranford, N.J. The suits revolved around claims that the plaintiffs were retaliated against by school boards because they refused to wear masks during public meetings. In one of the suits, the court sent the case...