In 1984, a jury awarded $200,000 to the Rev. Jerry Falwell for emotional distress intentionally inflicted by a parody depicting Falwell as a drunkard who had incestuous relations with his mother in an outhouse. In 1988, in "Hustler v. Falwell," the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the verdict on First Amendment grounds. Although the…

States that a yearbook has the potential of doing good in its school and community, but can also violate good taste and do damage to individuals. Advises the use of "common sense" when writing captions and thoughtfulness and informed action when dealing with what could be legal complications. (PA)

Never enjoying the strong protection afforded to other First Amendment-related speech, academic freedom has been buffeted by a series of seemingly conflicting legal decisions. This paper explores the case that focuses on an allegation that faculty members of Vincennes University, a two-year school in Indiana, were discriminated against because of…

This paper discuses whether outrageous parodies are and should be protected under the First Amendment. After presenting a definition and a brief history of parody humor, the paper then presents a brief description of the parties to this line of legal controversies. The paper describes the rationale of a line of separate parody cases involving Miss…