Augusta, Maine: School district maintains unconstitutional public comment policy

Augusta Schools restricts what people can say during the public comment period of school board meetings, with bans on complaints concerning employees or students, “defamatory” comments, and “abusive” and “vulgar” language. One proposal would add bans on “personally directed attack[s]” based on protected status and on “obscene” language.

On September 8, 2025, FIRE wrote a letter urging the Augusta Schools Policy Committee to revise the current policy to comply with the First Amendment.

On November 17, 2025, after being invited to provide additional feedback, FIRE wrote a letter to the school board outlining specific changes to bring the policy into compliance with the First Amendment.