Trachtman Comments on the Boy Scouts Case in the National Law Journal

Kramer Levin Litigation partner Jeffrey Trachtman published a column in the April 30, 2001 issue of the National Law Journal commenting on a Florida federal court's recent decision regarding the Boy Scouts of America. The court overturned a Broward County School Board edict banning the Scouts from meeting on school property because of the organization's exclusion of gay youth and adult members.

Mr. Trachtman endorsed the decision, pointing out that school boards act legally and in the public interest in suspending active support for organizations—like the Scouts—that practice discrimination, but even discriminatory organizations are entitled to equal access to facilities made available on a public forum basis. Mr. Trachtman noted that the court analogized the Scouts' rights to those of the Ku Klux Klan: "That makes it a good day for free speech and also for civil rights, because the decision makes clear that a bigot with free speech rights is still a bigot."

Mr. Trachtman's comments also appear in the June 2001 issue of Florida Lawyer magazine.