Midwest
Conservative mom sued for calling DEI teacher ‘woke’ celebrates as defamation case tossed
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A Wisconsin mother and conservative activist has won a free speech case after being sued for defamation over social media posts criticizing her school district’s “woke” priorities.
Scarlett Johnson, a leader in Moms for Liberty’s Wisconsin chapter, was sued by Mary MacCudden, a former English teacher and “Social Justice Coordinator” for the Mequon-Thiensville School District (MTSD), after Johnson made critical posts on social media in October 2022.
Johnson posted a screenshot of MacCudden’s LinkedIn profile and wrote, “Why the hell am I paying for a ‘Social Justice Coordinator’ in my school district?” She added, “This is just what @mtschools needs; more woke, White women w/ a god complex. Thank you, White savior.”
In other posts, Johnson described DEI specialists as “woke lunatics” and “bullies” who “bully” parents “into silence and compliance.”
Wisconsin Moms for Liberty activist Scarlett Johnson was sued by a former educator in a Wisconsin school district for defamation after Johnson criticized the school district for hiring a “woke” social justice coordinator. (Scarlett Johnson/Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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MacCudden filed a defamation lawsuit in 2022. The circuit court allowed parts of the case to proceed, but Johnson and her lawyers at the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) appealed the decision.
WILL argued that Johnson’s comments were “run-of-the-mill social media posts” that are protected by the First Amendment.
On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals sided with Johnson, ruling that her comments were opinions, not factual statements that could be proven true or false, and therefore could not be considered defamatory.
“We conclude that Johnson’s statements do not constitute defamation. Thus, we reverse and remand for the circuit court to enter summary judgment in Johnson’s favor,” the appeals court found.
Protesters descend on Philadelphia as President Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis give remarks at Moms for Liberty’s “Joyful Warriors National Summit” in 2023. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)
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Terms like “bully” and “lunatic” are subjective, the court argued, while the terms “woke,” “White savior” and “god complex” are “vague and do not have a clear meaning or definition,” it said.
One judge dissented, saying the posts identified MacCudden by name and might have implied undisclosed facts that a jury should consider.
Johnson said she saw the lawsuit as an effort to silence her and other parents who spoke out against DEI programs. She recalled facing a similar defamation claim just days before a 2021 school board election, calling it a politically timed attempt to intimidate her.
A sign reading “We Do Not CO-PARENT with the Government” is seen in the hallway during the inaugural Moms For Liberty Summit at the Tampa Marriott Water Street on July 15, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. (Octavio Jones)
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“I felt I had to fight back in this case. It couldn’t be like the other. I had to stand up because this would never stop,” she told Fox News Digital. “They’d keep going after parents like me.”
She added that she hopes the ruling encourages other parents to speak out against “radical ideologies” in public schools without fear of being sued.
“This sets legal precedent,” she said. “Parents everywhere can speak the truth about what’s happening in their schools with a little less fear that they’re going to be dragged into court for frivolous lawsuits.”
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WILL Deputy Counsel Luke Berg praised the ruling in a statement.
“Scarlett, like all of us, has the right to question and criticize her government. The defamation lawsuit against her was meritless and should have been promptly dismissed. We are pleased that the Court agreed, and that Scarlett can put this distraction behind her,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to MacCudden’s attorney, James McAlister, for comment but did not receive a response.
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Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Is Giannis playing tonight vs. Celtics?
Porter has helped the Bucks stay afloat; what’s his Milwaukee future?
Kevin Porter Jr. has helped the Milwaukee Bucks stay afloat without an injured Giannis Antetokounmpo; what’s Porter Jr.’s future in Milwaukee?
The Milwaukee Bucks host the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum just over 24 hours after one of their most disappointing losses of the season, when they scored just eight fourth-quarter points and gave up a 39-point swing in the second half in a blowout loss at Chicago on March 1.
Boston comes into town as one of the league’s hottest teams having won eight of its last 10 and after beating Philadelphia on March 1. The Celtics (40-20) are currently the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and are looking to stay in front of New York.
The Bucks (26-33), meanwhile, had been winning games but have dropped two in a row and three of their last five. In those three losses, all to teams currently in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the team failed to score 100 points.
Is Giannis playing?
Yes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo began the day as questionable to play, and was upgraded to available after his pregame workout. It was the first time he had been listed as anything other than “out” since reinjuring his calf on Jan. 23. The game will mark the return of the former two-time MVP, who has missed the last 15 games with a strain of his soleus muscle in his right calf.
What is the Bucks record without Giannis?
11-17.
Milwaukee is 15-15 when Antetokounmpo plays any number of minutes. They are 1-2 when he has exited games early due to injury.
Is Jayson Tatum playing?
No.
Boston’s all-NBA wing is continuing to work his way back from a torn Achilles tendon suffered during the playoffs in May. Tatum has been doing five-on-five work lately.
Boston Celtics injury report
- Jayson Tatum, out (Achilles)
- Jaylen Brown, out (illness)
- Neemias Queta, out (rest)
Taurean Prince, out (neck surgery)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, questionable (right calf strain)
Bucks probable starters
- Guard: AJ Green, Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr.
- Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Center: Myles Turner
What time is the Bucks game?
The game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT.
What channel is the Bucks game on?
The game will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Wesley Matthews and Melanie Ricks on the call. The game was originally supposed to be a national broadcast on Peacock but was moved to NBA TV.
NBA playoff standings
The Bucks are currently out of the postseason picture entirely. Here are the play-in standings in the Eastern Conference heading into game play on March 2:
No. 7: Orlando (31-28): The Bucks and Magic have split the season series 1-1. The Bucks host the Magic on March 8.
No. 8: Miami (32-29): The Bucks and Magic have split the season series 1-1. Milwaukee travels to Miami on March 12.
No. 9: Atlanta (31-31): The Bucks lead the season series 1-0. The Bucks host the Hawks on March 4 and then travel to Atlanta on March 14.
No. 10: Charlotte (30-31): The Bucks own the tiebreaker over the Hornets having won the season series 3-1.
No. 11: Milwaukee (26-33): The Bucks have had better luck against the play-in teams to date, as they are just 5-13 against the top six seeds in the conference.
“We say we didn’t play ourselves out of it,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said. “Obviously I’m competitive. I think we should’ve had an even better record. But, not having your best player for that long and staying above .500 is huge for us. It’s funny, when he went out (Jan. 23) the talk around me was ‘being .500’ and I was like we can be better than that. We were. I’ll take it. But, never satisfied.”
The four teams in the play-in will face one another to determine the final two playoff teams (which will face the top two seeds). Teams that hold the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds only have to win one game to advance, teams that hold the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds must win twice to advance
Bucks vs. Celtics odds
Boston is a 7.5-point favorite over Milwaukee with the over/under set at 216.5 points, per BetMGM.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis man sentenced to nearly 30 years for murder of Deshaun Hill
A Minneapolis man who pleaded guilty to murdering a high school student in 2022 was sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison on Monday.
It was the second time Cody Fohrenkam was sentenced for fatally shooting 15-year-old Deshaun Hill. He was convicted and sentenced to more than 38 years in prison in February 2023, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals later reversed the conviction and granted him a retrial based on illegally obtained incriminating statements.
Fohrenkam, 33, agreed to a plea deal as his second trial was set to start, pleading guilty to one count of second-degree intentional murder in exchange for Monday’s 340-month sentence. The judge presiding over the hearing gave him credit for 1,476 days already served.
Fohrenkam shot and killed Hill while Hill was walking to a bus stop just blocks from Minneapolis North High School, where Hill was a star quarterback and honor roll student.
One of Hill’s aunts said in a statement shortly before the judge sentenced Fohrenkam that her nephew was “full of life.”
“When he spoke, you listened. He had a soft spirit and a good heart,” she said. “Deshaun was an artist who, as you all know, he took his education seriously. He had dreams and goals. He worked hard to make his family proud.”
This story will be updated.
Indianapolis, IN
Westfield’s historic Green Building set for relocation
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Westfield officials say the historic Green Building will relocate as part of the 32Connects project, in partnership with Indiana Department of Transportation.
The move is set for 8 a.m. Thursday and move north from its current location, along State Road 32 near Union Street, up to near the Basile Westfield Playhouse.
Officials say in order to safely complete the move the intersection of Union Street and State Road 32 will be closed beginning at 4 a.m. Thursday.
The intersection will reopen by 5 p.m. and detours will be in place.
If the weather causes delays, the move will shift to Friday.
This story was written using a script that was aired on WISH-TV.
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