The Kern County Board of Supervisors violated the First Amendment last week when it declined to vote on a contract to a local community group to do COVID-19 education in disadvantaged communities because of political views expressed by the group, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California alleges.

"When your speech can lead to government retaliation, you’re likely to refrain from speaking," said ACLU attorney Jordan Wells. "We want to have robust public discussion of policy issues that matter in our community. If the price of that discussion is retaliation from government, that would destroy that right to free speech."