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Free Speech

Can't Ban Parent from School Property for "Mean and Demeaning Posts" About "Opposing Student Athletes"

Eugene Volokh | 7.21.2026 8:01 AM

From Jones v. Jenkins Indep. School Dist., decided Thursday by Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove (E.D. Ky.):

A public school in Eastern Kentucky issued a series of no trespass bans to Elizabeth Jones, a parent, in response to some of her posts on Facebook. As explained below, these posts were mean and demeaning. Naturally, several parents complained to the school district. The school district responded by banning Jones from all district property….

The First Amendment prohibits government officials from subjecting an individual to retaliatory actions for engaging in protected speech, and this speech is protected. For these reasons, the Court GRANTS Jones's motion for a preliminary injunction….

Plaintiff Elizabeth Jones … is a single mother of two minor children who attend school in the Jenkins Independent School District. She regularly attends school-sponsored activities, including athletics events, and donated her time and money to support her children's extracurricular activities.

Jones is also the owner and CEO of Hillbilly Crime, LLC. According to Hillbilly Crime's YouTube profile, Jones is a "Mom and self-proclaimed 'Educated Hillbilly'" who discusses "anything & everything True Crime, follow[s] local criminal trials, and give[s] my personal and best 'Hillbilly' commentary on important issues and current events." Jones monetizes her content through this YouTube channel with over 26,000 subscribers and also through two Facebook pages with over 26,000 followers and 38,000 followers, respectively. In addition to her videos and posts, Jones operates an online store featuring Hillbilly Crime merchandise and also offers supporters the ability to purchase subscription tiers ranging from $2.99 to $24.99 a month to support her reporting.

Jones is a prolific user of Facebook, publishing multiple posts per day on both her "Elizabeth Jones" and "Hillbilly Crime" accounts. The accounts largely overlap in terms of content. When Jones posts on her........

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