The definitions in our glossary are primarily sourced from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary and Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute. We have made slight modifications where needed for brevity and to better tailor the definitions to the specific needs of users of this website. For more detailed explanations of the terms, users are encouraged to review the definitions on these websites or conduct their own independent research.
CASE NAME
Johnson v. Watkin et al
Overview
Johnson the decision of the U.S. District Court, which dismissed his for lack of .
Details
Johnson, a community college professor in California opposes the college's approach to DEI and antiracism, and claims that the college punishes professors for engaging in social and political speech that goes against the college's ideology.
Johnson argues that the district judge erred by failing to acknowledge that Johnson was, in fact, compelled to speak contrary to his conscience.
The college argues that the district court properly dismissed the case for lack of. They argue that Johnson has not shown a real risk of being punished by the college and has not claimed that anything he has done would violate the disputed regulations.
On July 14, 2025, the court of appeals reversed the district court's decision to dismiss Johnson's free speech claim because he sufficiently alleged an intent to engage in conduct with a constitutional interest under the First Amendment. The provisions put in place by the college "arguably proscribed" Johnson's intended conduct, and the court stated that he was able to adequately allege a "credible threat" of punishment under these provisions.
As a result, the court of appeals sent the case back to the district court to decide on Johnson's for a .
Court
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Status
Filed October 02, 2024 | Decided
Litigation History